Corresponding author: Quanru Liu (
Academic editor: P. De Block
Wu L, Li X, Liu W-J, Liu Q-R (2019)
In 2017, a plant lover, Mr. Ming-Feng Long, found a population of
Most materials are deposited at the herbarium of forest plants in the
Similar to
CHINA. Yunnan Province: Malipo County, Mali town, Luoshuidong village,
Perennial herbs, up to 8 cm in height, prostrate or decumbent, usually rooting at nodes; stems terete, basal part usually woody, densely puberulent (trichomes white). Petiole 2–7 mm long; leaf blade elliptic to oblong, 0.8–4.5 × 0.5–1.6 cm, drying papery, adaxially green, abaxially yellowish-green, adaxially puberulent to subglabrous, abaxially puberulent, densely pubescent along principal veins on lower surface; base cuneate and somewhat decurrent, apex obtuse to acute; secondary veins 5–12 pairs, both midrib and secondary veins adaxially impressed, abaxially prominent; stipules ovate-triangular or sometimes 2-lobed, 0.2–0.8 mm long, densely puberulent outside, usually deciduous. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, 5–9-flowered, puberulent; peduncles short, 1.5–2.4 mm long, puberulent; bracts subulate, 0.5–1.5 mm long, puberulent. Flowers distylous; pedicels 1.0–2.5 mm long, puberulent. Calyx puberulent to subglabrous outside; hypanthium obconic, 1.2–1.7 mm long; calyx lobes equal, lanceolate to narrowly triangular, 2–2.5 mm long, acute at apex. Corolla 5-merous, slenderly salverform, purple-reddish, with a deep purple-reddish ring around the throat, glabrous outside; tube 15–25 mm long; lobes broadly ovate, 3.5–6.0 × 3.0–5.0 mm, apically rostrate-incurved; stamens completely included in the corolla tube at anthesis in both flower morphs; ovary 2-celled. Long-styled flowers: inside with a ring of hairs near the stamens; stamens inserted near the base and stigma positioned a little below the throat of the corolla tube; anthers linear, ca. 2.0–2.4 mm long; stigma 2-lobed, lobes elliptic, ca. 1.2 mm long. Short-styled flowers: inside with sparse pubescence near the base of the corolla tube; stamens inserted above the middle and stigma positioned near the base of the corolla tube, anthers linear, ca. 2.5 mm; stigma 2-lobed, lobes ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm long. Capsule obovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm long, subglabrous, opened at the top when mature. Seeds ca. 12 per capsule.
Flowers and fruits were observed in April. We think flowering and fruiting may extend till May, because many flowers in April were still in bud.
The specific epithet refers to the habitat of the new species.
So far, only two populations with about 300 individuals each have been found, notably near the towns of Mali and of Shuitian. The area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 4 km2. Despite the fact that only two populations with relatively few individuals are known, the status of
Karst ecosystems are known to be distinctive in vegetation and biodiversity and have an extreme and exceptional habitat that can provide the opportunity for speciation and radiation (
1 | Corolla tubes shorter than 10 mm |
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– | Corolla tubes 10–25 mm |
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2 | Leaf blades usually 2–10 cm long, second veins 7–9 pairs; corolla tubes 2–3 mm long |
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– | Leaf blades 0.5–2 cm long, second veins 3–4 pairs; corolla tubes longer than 7 mm |
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3 | Stem densely hairy; bracts linear |
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– | Stem subglabrous; bracts oblong |
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4 | Stipules shorter than 1 mm; inflorescences 3–7-flowered |
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– | Stipules 1.5–2.5 mm long; inflorescences 2–3-flowered |
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5 | Stipules 0.3–1.2 mm long, caducous |
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– | Stipules 1.5–5 mm long, persistent |
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6 | Stems and leaves densely pubescent; leaf blades ovate; calyx lobes 0.8–1.5 mm long |
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– | Stems and leaves puberulent; leaf blades elliptic to oblong; calyx lobes 2–2.5 mm long |
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7 | Calyx lobes 0.6–1.5 mm long |
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– | Calyx lobes 2–6 mm long |
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8 | Leaf blades 1.5–4 cm long; inflorescences 4–10-flowered |
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– | Leaf blades 0.3–1.1 cm long; inflorescences 1–2-flowered |
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9 | Corolla glabrous outside, tubes 16–18 mm long |
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– | Corolla subglabrous outside, tubes 11–15 m long; stigmas excluded in long-styled flowers |
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10 | Corollas salverform; peduncles 1.3–2.8 cm |
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– | Corollas slenderly funnelform; peduncles shorter than 1 cm |
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The authors are grateful to the staff of