Corresponding authors: Yong-Hua Zhang (
Academic editor: Alan Paton
Jin X-J, Huang Y, Wei Y-K, Ma Q, Liu L-X, Fu Z-X, Wu G-F, Zhang Y-H, Li P (2022)
During our botanical expedition to Yajiang County, Sichuan Province in September 2012, we discovered an unknown species of
The morphological characters were examined, based on the living plants and specimens.
A total of 48 individuals of
Distribution of
Two samples of the new species were sequenced using the genome skimming approach, then 14 sequences [each sample has two nrDNA (ETS, ITS) and five ptDNA (
Maximum Likelihood (
Incongruences amongst different datasets (combined ptDNA dataset, combined nrDNA dataset) were explored through visual comparison of tree topologies and support values. Hard incongruence was defined as BS ≥ 80% and/or PP ≥ 0.95 (
Detailed morphological comparisons between the new species and four other sympatric or morphologically similar taxa are summarised in Table
Morphological comparisons among
Species Characters |
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Plant | Tall | 10–45 cm | 30–50 cm | 20–30 cm | 10–20 cm | 30–50 cm | < 10 cm |
Inflorescence | Bract villous | Glabrous | Glabrous | Densely villous abaxially, glabrous adaxially | Villous, especially on veins abaxially, glabrous adaxially | Subglabrous abaxially, glabrous adaxially | Villous abaxially, glabrous adaxially |
Flower | Corolla size | 3.2–3.5 mm | 6–7 mm | 4.6–5.0 mm | 4.5–5.3 mm | ca. 4.5 mm | ca. 6 mm |
Calyx villous | White villous outside | White hispidulous | White villous outside | White villous outside | Pilose | White villous | |
Calyx apices | Apex spinescent | Caudate | Apex spinescent | Apex spinescent | Apex spinescent | Apex spinescent | |
Calyx length | Two long and three short | Subequal | Two long and three short | Two long and three short | Two long and three short | Two long and three short | |
Bract | Stalked, ca. 1.2 mm | Sessile | Sessile | Sessile | Sessile | Sessile | |
Leaves | Apices | Acute | Acuminate | Acute | Acute | Acuminate | Acuminate |
Margin | Obtuse serrate | Remotely serrate | Obtuse serrate | Obtuse serrate | Denticle | Obtuse serrate | |
Blade | Villous | Sparsely fine pilose | Villous | Villous | Sparsely minutely hispid | Villous |
The aligned sequences of nrDNA (ETS, ITS) and ptDNA (
The Maximum Likelihood tree, based on the combined ptDNA (
Visual comparison of the resulting topologies, based on supporting values, revealed well-supported discrepancies for the combined nrDNA (ITS, ETS) and combined ptDNA (
China. Sichuan: Yajiang County, Agakeyong,
Four other sympatric or morphologically similar species
Annual herbs, erect. Stems 10–45 cm tall, tawny purple; pilose or pilulose, multi-branched above base, branch apex with inflorescence, internode 0.5–4.8 cm long. Leaves ovate triangular, ovate oblong to oblong lanceolate or lanceolate, 0.7–3.6 cm long and 0.3–1.7 cm wide, apex acute, base broadly or narrowly cuneate, extending to petiole, with dense glandular. Leaves villous adaxially, villous especially on veins abaxially. Leaf margin serrate, obtuse, occasionally acute, serrate margin usually purple. Inflorescence a terminal spike, secund, ca. 0.9–7.9 cm, flowers 8–14 at each node of the inflorescence (a pair of cymes); bracts subcircular to broadly ovate, ca. 1.2–3.2 × 1.1–4.5 mm, caudate cuspidate, apex ca. 0.7–2.1 mm, glabrous, except margin ciliate, with dense glandular, dark magenta at maturity, bract stalked, ca. 1.2 mm. Pedicel ca. 2 mm long, enlarged at apex, glabrous. Calyx ca. 2.0–3.2 mm, teeth 5, teeth triangular, two long and three short, apex spinescent,white hirsute, margin ciliate. Corolla deep purple, 3.2–3.5 mm, slightly incurved, narrowly funnel-shaped, with hairs transparent and purple interlaced, villous outside, pilose annulate inside, the base of the corolla tube is about 0.5 mm wide, widening upwards, throat about 1.2 mm wide, upper lip emarginated; middle lobe of lower lip semicircular, lateral lobes subcircular, shorter than middle lobe. Stamens 4, protruding from corolla, the anterior longer than the posterior, filaments are glabrous, anthers purple-black. Style longer than stamens at maturity, exserted, 2-cleft, with lobe equal, linear. Ovary 4-cleft; disc persistent, 1 nectary rises on the edge of the ovary. Nutlets 4, brown, oblong, ca. 1.1 mm long, 0.7 mm in diameter, surface becoming mucilaginous when wetted.
Illustration of
Flowering and fruiting from September to December.
Zhong-yang-xiang-ru (钟扬香薷).
The specific epithet is named in memory of Prof. Yang Zhong, a Chinese botanist who was dedicated to botanical research and education in Xizang (Tibet), China.
– Endemic to China, Sichuan Province, Yajiang County (Wolongsi, Weidi, Agakeyong, Jialulongba and Zhusang), Litang County (Wenquan), Ganzi County, Dege County (Ezhi), Luhuo County (Zhuwo) and Batang County. Growing in grassland on mountain slopes or even along the road, at an elevation of 3000–4000 m.
The known localities of
China. Sichuan: Yajiang County, Wolongsi,
There is one other
Within the genus
This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31800309, 31800187), The Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. LY21C030002), the Open Fund of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources (Grant No. PFGR202104) and The Scientific Research Project of Baishanzu National Park (Grant No. 2021KFLY06).
Appendix I
COL.
Taxa and Genbank accessions involved in the present study. Missing sequences are indicated by a double slash (//). Accession numbers in bold are newly generated sequences.