Corresponding author: Xin Hong (
Academic editor: Eric Roalson
A new variety of
Xu W-J, Qin W-H, Wang Z-Q, Li Z-L, Fu L-F, Hong X (2019) A new variety of
In March 2019, several
CHINA. Guangxi Province, cultivated in the nursery of Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (
Acaulescent perennial herb. Rhizome horizontal, 3–4 cm long, up to 1.5 cm thick, roots fibrous. Leaves 4–8 basal, clustered at the apex of the rhizome; clearly whorled, orbicular-ovate to triangular, 3–9 × 3.5–11 cm, papery, base cordate, apex rounded, margin irregularly triangular denticulate, upper surface densely covered with eglandular short hairs and sparse long hairs, lower surface sparsely covered with short and long hairs confined to the veins; basal veins 4 or 5, lateral veins 3–4 on each side of midrib, palmate; petioles terete, 2–9.5 cm long, densely covered with fuscous hairs. Cymes 1–4, axillary, 4 to many flowered; peduncle 10–18 cm long, densely covered with brown villous, pedicel 1–2.5 cm long, with same indumentum as on the peduncle. Bracts 2, opposite, subulate to subulate-triangular, ca. 6 mm long, adaxially glabrous, abaxially puberulent, margin sparsely denticulate, densely ciliary villous; bracteoles 2, opposite, subulate, 2–3 mm long, indumentum same as bracts. Calyx actinomorphic, 6–6.5 mm long, shallowly 5-lobed to about two-thirds of the calyx length from the base, lobes equal, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, apices obtuse, margin sparsely denticulate, inside glabrous, outside white puberulent. Corolla zygomorphic, up to 5 cm; glabrous both inside and outside, pink to magenta, inside with two brightly yellow strips at throat. Tube funnel-shaped to tubular, 1.8–2.2 cm long, inflated in the middle, orifice 1–1.5 cm in diameter, base constricted; limb distinctly 2-lipped, adaxial lip 2-lobed to near middle, ca. 0.6–0.8 × 1.6 cm, obliquely triangular, abaxial lip 3-lobed to base, lobes rounded or oblong, ca. 1.1 × 1.1 cm, more or less equal. Stamens 2, adnate to corolla ca. 2.3 cm above the corolla base; filaments 8–10 mm long, straight, swollen at middle, white, glabrous with glandules on the surface; anthers ca. 2 mm long, white bearded. Staminodes 3, adnate to 1.4–1.8 cm above base of corolla tube, 0.3–0.5 mm long, white, glabrous. Disc annular, ca. 1 mm high. Pistil 3.6–4.3 cm long, densely puberulent; ovary white, ca. 3.3–4 cm long, cylindrical, puberulent; style ca. 3 mm long; stigma 1, terminal, depressed-globose, centrally sunken, undivided, translucent. Capsule purplish-red when young, linear-cylindrical, puberulent, up to 9 cm.
The specific epithet is derived from calyx 5-lobed from middle to above middle.
Hé è Mín Gàn Cháng Shùo Jù Tái (Chinese pronunciation); 合萼闽赣长蒴苣苔 (Chinese name).
The new variety has so far been found only in the type locality, near Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. The landform of the type locality is Danxia landform, which is formed from red-coloured sandstones and conglomerates deposited by sedimentation from lakes and streams from mainly the Cretaceous age. The new variety is locally abundant and grows on moist and shaded rocky faces on the cliff in subtropical evergreen seasonal rain forest. The average temperature of Pingyuan County is about 21.7 °C and the average annual precipitation is over 1 600 mm. Flowering is from February to March.
There are nine species and two varieties in
Comparison of the diagnostic characters of
|
|
|
|
Shape of calyx | shallowly 5-lobed to the base, lobes unequal | shallowly 5-lobed to the base, lobes unequal | base connate, 5-lobed from middle to above middle, lobes equal |
Size of corolla | 2.5–3.2 cm long | up to 4 cm | ca. 5 cm long |
Indumentum of corolla | puberulent | glabrous | glabrous |
Stamens | 1.0–1.2 cm from the base | 1.0–1.2 cm from the base | 2.3 cm from the base |
Staminodes | 0.6–0.8 cm from the base | absent | 1.4–1.8 cm from the base |
Pistil size | 1.8–2.9 cm | up to 3 cm | 3.6–4.3 cm |
The distribution areas of Section
This study was financially supported by the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (1908085QC1), Key University Science Research Project of Anhui Province (No. KJ2017A022), Anhui University Doctor Startup Fund, Fund of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain (No.17-259-23).