Corresponding authors: Lei Xie (
Academic editor: M. Pellegrini
He J, Lyu R-D, Yao M, Xie L, Yang Z-Z (2019)
During field investigations in Xinjiang, a distinctive population of
Field investigations were conducted in the type locality and other areas in Xinjiang; specimens of
The new species is most similar to
Holotype specimen (
Illustration of
Morphological comparison of the new species to two closely related species.
Species |
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Hairs on plant | Present but hard to see | Hairs often dense | Present but hard to see |
Leaf | Bluish-green, pinnate to 2-ternate | Grey green, 1–2-pinnate | Bluish-green to green, 1–2-pinnate |
Leaflet | Thick papery, always lanceolate to linear lanceolate, margin entire | Thick papery to subcoriaceous, highly variable, sometimes lanceolate, margin entire or 1–2 dentate | Papery to herbaceous, variable, often elliptic or ovate, margin entire |
Inflorescence | 1–3-flowered cyme | 1-many-flowered cyme, often panicle like | 1–7-many-flowered cyme |
Bracteole | Entire | Entire | Sometimes 3-lobed |
Flower | 3.8–5.8 cm diam. | 1.4–2.8 cm diam. | 3.5–3.8 cm diam. |
Sepal | Ascending, not reflexed | Spreading, reflexed | Ascending, not reflexed |
Sepal color | Pinkish-purple outside | Yellow | Pinkish-purple or yellow outside |
Sepal shape | Narrowly lanceolate | Often narrowly oblong | Narrowly ovate to elliptic |
Inside sepal | puberulous | puberulous | glabrous or very sparsely puberulous |
Stamen | 7–12 mm long | 5–9 mm long | 7–14 mm long |
Field photographs of three closely related species of sect.
CHINA. Xinjiang: Toksun, Yuer gou, alt. 2590 m, sandy bank along the river, 22 Aug. 2018, fl, fr,
Woody vine. Branches slender, shallowly 6 sulcate, very sparsely puberulous. Leaves pinnate to 2-ternate, very rarely ternate, up to 16 cm in length and 13 cm in width; living leaflets dry, green or sometimes grey-green, papyraceous to chartaceous, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1.8–6.5 × 0.3–0.8 cm, glabrous on the upper side, sparsely puberulous on the lower side, usually 2–3-lobed to 2–3-sect, sometimes undivided, terminal lobe lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.4–0.8 cm broad, margin entire, never dentate, midrib adaxially flat or slightly prominent, abaxially clearly prominent. Cymes all axillary, (1–2–)3–flowered; peduncles 2.5–3.0 cm long, slender; bracts petiolate, leaflet-like, up to 3.5 cm long; central flower of the 3 flowered cyme without bracteole, two lateral flowers bracteolate; bracteole petiolate and leaflet-like, up to 8 mm long. Flower 3.8–5.8 cm diam.; pedicel 2.8–5.2 cm long, puberulous, upper pedicel usually densely hairy. Sepals 4, pinkish-purple outside and yellow inside, ascending, lanceolate, 18–27 × 4–6.5 mm, puberulous on both surfaces, outside margin velutinous, apex acute to slightly attenuate. Stamens more than 30, 9–12 mm long; filaments lanceolate linear, widened in the lower part, pubescent; anthers linear to narrowly oblong, 3–4 mm long, glabrous, apex obtuse, minutely apiculate. Carpels numerous, up to 60 per flower; ovaries pubescent; styles 8–12 mm long, densely villous. Achenes laterally compressed, elliptic, ca. 3.9 × 2.1 mm, puberulous; persistent styles 6.5 cm long, plumose.
CHINA. Xinjiang: Toksun, Yuer gou, alt. 2600 m, 22 Aug. 2018 (fl, fr),
Flowering and fruiting time: July to September.
Only known from its type locality, Yuer gou, Toksun, Xinjiang, China.
Ming Tie Xian Lian (明铁线莲; new Chinese name)
According to currently available data regarding
The species epithet is chosen in honour of the collector, Ms. Ma Ming, who first noticed this new species and guided the last author to collect specimens.
The new species clearly belongs to sect.
AFGHANISTAN. Kokcha-Tal,
CHINA. Gansu, Liancheng,
1 | Leaflet margin entire or with 1–2 teeth per side |
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– | Leaflet margin regularly denticulate, dentate, serrate or crenate |
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2 | Flowers solitary, terminal or also in lateral, axillary cymes |
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– | Flowers usually in lateral, rarely also in terminal cymes, never solitary and terminal |
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3 | Sepals inside glabrous, corniculate at apex |
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– | Sepals inside puberulous, not corniculate at apex |
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4 | Lateral cyme with one flower, sepals brown-purple, apex conrniculate |
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– | Cyme with 1–3-many flowers, sepals yellow or tinged with purple, apex not coniculate |
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5 | Leaflet blades narrowly elliptic or narrowly ovate, sepal inside glabrous or very sparsely puberulous |
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– | Leaflet blades lanceolate or linear-lanceolate |
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6 | Sepal inside glabrous |
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– | Sepal inside puberulous |
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7 | Sepal outside glabrous |
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– | Sepal puberulous on both surfaces |
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8 | Leaves grey green, 1–2 pinnate; sepal oblong, yellow outside, reflexed |
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– | Leaves bluish-green, often 2-ternate; sepal lanceolate, purple outside, not reflexed |
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9 | Sepals inside glabrous |
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– | Sepals inside puberulous |
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10 | Leaf margin crenate |
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– | Leaf margin dentate or denticulate |
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11 | Sepal with tail-like projection 3–6 mm long at apex; flowers only solitary and terminal, never in axillary cymes |
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– | Flowers usually in lateral, rarely also in terminal cymes, never solitary and terminal |
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12 | Sepals puberulous outside |
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– | Sepals glabrous outside |
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13 | Leaflets usually narrowly ovate or lanceolate, undivided, apex attenuate, margin serrate |
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– | Leaflets broadly ovate or ovate, 2–3-lobed, apex acute, margin irregularly dentate |
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This study was supported by the Medium- and Long-term Scientific Study Projects for Young Teachers of Beijing Forestry University (grant no. 2015ZCQ-BH-03 to Lei Xie), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 31670207) and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (grant no. 5182016).