Corresponding author: Shou-Biao Zhou (
Academic editor: M. Pellegrini
Wang R-B, Ni W-Y, Xu W-J, Gui Z-W, Zhou S-B (2019)
During floristic surveys in experimental forestry plots of this Guniujiang National Nature Reserve between 2016 and 2018, a conspicuous species bearing 1-flowered cymes was collected. After thorough comparisons of diagnostic morphological and anatomical features of similar taxa (
Measurements and morphological character assessments of the putative new species were undertaken using herborised and living specimens observed in the field or cultivated at the Botanical Garden of Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All available specimens of
Resembles
CHINA. Anhui Province: Qimeng County, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve, Huangshan City,
Vines herbaceous, perennial; branches inconspicuously longitudinally 6-sulcate to sub-terete, densely primrose yellow puberulous covering when young, becoming glabrescent with age. Root fusiform. Leaves opposite, ternate; petiole 7–10 cm long; leaflets 3-lobed, ovate to narrowly-ovate; central lobe 6–7.5 × 3.5–4 cm, lateral lobes 4–5 × 2.8–3.5 cm, margin coarsely dentate to entire, apex acuminate or sometimes caudate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, papery, adaxially dark green, densely appressed white pilose, abaxially light green, sparsely puberulous to sub-glabrous, basal veins abaxially slightly prominent; and with petiolule 1–2 cm long. Cymes axillary, 1-flowered; peduncles 3–6 cm long, densely puberulous; bracts opposite, subsessile, ovate, 1.2–1.7 × 5–7 mm, margin entire, both surfaces puberulous. Flowers 6–8 cm diam.; pedicels ca. 2 cm long, conical, sulcate, green, densely puberulous; sepals 4, spreading, light green, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or broad-lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.8–2.3 cm, apex acute, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely white pubescent, trinerved; stamens numerous, 1–3 cm long, filaments linear, glabrous, about 3–5 times the length of the anthers, anthers narrowly oblong, ca. 6 mm long, white, glabrous, apex shortly apiculate; ovaries ellipsoidal, pubescent, style densely yellow-villose. Achenes dark-brown, strongly compressed, ovate to broadly ellipsoidal, ca. 3 × 1 mm wide, pubescent; persistent style 1.5–2 cm long, yellow-plumose.
Holotype of
Flowering from April to May; fruiting from October to November.
The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve.
Gǖ Niǘ Tiě Xiãn Lián (Chinese pronunciation); 牯牛铁线莲 (Chinese name).
To date,
Distribution map of
Based on the present field investigations,
A morphological comparison between
Diagnostic character differences amongst
Characters |
|
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Petioles | 7–10 cm long | 1.7–3 cm long | 2–4 cm long |
Shape of leaflet blades | 3-lobed | 2- or 3-lobed or undivided | undivided |
Indumentum of leaflet blades | puberulous | puberulous | glabrous |
Flower per cyme | 1-flowered | 1–3-flowered | 1-flowered |
Size of bracts | 1.2–1.7 cm long | 2–3 cm long | 1.4–3 cm long |
Size of pedicels | ca. 2 cm long | 1.2–3 cm long | 3.7–8.5 cm long |
Size of flowers | 6–8 cm wide | 2–3 cm wide | 3.6–5 cm wide |
Number of sepals | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Colour of sepals | light green | white | white |
Size of sepals | 3.5–4.5 ×1.8–2.3 cm | 1.4–2.2 × 0.3–0.6 cm | 2–3 × 1–1.5 cm |
Size of anthers | ca. 6 mm long | 2.5–3.2 mm long | 2.5–3.5 mm long |
Filaments | about 3-5 times the length of the anther, white | equal to the length of the anther, white | shorter than anthers, purple |
Persistent styles | 1.5–2 cm long, yellow plumose | 0.8–1.3 cm long, appressed yellowish pubescent | ca. 8 mm long, basally spreading puberulous, apically glabrous |
The authors are grateful to Yu-Han Xiao from Nanjing Normal University of Special Education for the beautiful hand-drawings. This study was financially supported by Long-term Plot of Forest Ecosystem Project in Guniujiang National Nature Reserve, the Anhui University Doctor Start-up Fund, Key University Science Research Project of Anhui Province (No. KJ2017A022), Anhui Natural Science Fund Project (1908085QC126), Key Projects for Academic Support of Top-level Talents in Colleges and Universities in Anhui Province (No. gxbjZD2016106), National traditional Chinese medicine resources survey project (caishe [2017] no. 66).
List of all specimens analyzed for all three species for this study, with voucher number and deposition and origin information. Species are listed in alphabetical order.