Research Article |
Corresponding author: Xiao-lan Li ( lixiaolan97@163.com ) Academic editor: Clifford Morden
© 2024 Zong-Zong Yang, Quan-Ru Liu, Zhen Liu, Ji-shan Xiang, Xiao-lan Li.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Yang Z-Z, Liu Q-R, Liu Z, Xiang J-shan, Li X-lan (2024) Astragalus liuaiminii, a new species of Astragalus (Fabaceae) from Xinjiang, China. PhytoKeys 243: 209-214. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.243.119707
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A new species, Astragalus liuaiminii Z. Z. Yang & Q. R. Liu (Fabaceae), is described and illustrated from Xinjiang Province, China. The new species is close to A. wenquanensis S. B. Ho, but differs from the latter by leaves having a single leaflet (vs. 3–5 leaflets), and inflorescences with 1–2 flowers (vs. inflorescences with 5–7 flowers). It is also similar to A. monophyllus Maxim in leaf shape, but differs by its calyx expanding to become saccate and totally enveloping the pod (vs. calyx tubular, and ruptured by pod after flowering).
Astragalus sect. Laguropsis, new species, taxonomy, Xinjiang
The genus Astragalus Linnaeus is the largest genus of flowering plants, containing about 2500 to 3000 species, with ca. 2350 species in the Old World and ca. 500 species in the Americas (
Specimens were collected from Habahe County of Xinjiang Province. Morphological studies of the new species were based on observation of living individuals. Comparisons of the new species with other related specimens were conducted by checking materials from PE and XJBI, as well as virtual specimen databases (CCAU, KUN, IBK, IBSC, CVH and JSTOR). Measurements were carried out under a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZX2, Tokyo, Japan) using a ruler and a metric vernier caliper.
Astragalus liuaiminii belongs to Astragalus sect. Laguropsis (A. subg. Calycocystis) by its acaulescent, densely caespitose, with only white hairs. The calyx expands to become saccate, enveloping the pod.
China. XinJiang Province. Habahe County. Mt. Talede, 1050 m elev., 9 June 2023, on dry gravelly slopes, A. M. Liu, Z. Z. Yang 2388 (Holotype BNU!)
China. Xinjiang: Habahe County, 1000 m elev., 11 June 2023, A. M. Liu, Z. Z. Yang 2398 (BNU!).
Plants perennial, 3–5 cm tall, acaulescent or nearly so, densely caespitose, covered with white medifixed hairs. Caudex with a pluricipital root crown. Stipules whitish membranous, 3–5 mm long, triangular, adnate to the petiole for ca. 2 mm, densely covered with appressed white hairs. Leaves with single leaflet, 2–3.5 cm long, rhomboid, petiole 0.8–1.5 cm long, very densely covered with appressed white hairs; leaflets obovate to elliptic, subacute at apex, rather densely covered with appressed hairs on both surfaces. Racemes 1–2 flower, 1.2–2.2 cm. Bracts whitish membranous, narrowly triangular, ca. 2 mm long, anther densely covered with short appressed hairs. Pedicels very short, with white hairs. Calyx tubular at anthesis, ca. 9 mm, later enlarged and becoming saccate, spherical-ovoid, 15–17 mm, densely covered with white appressed hairs, and denser towards the margins of teeth; teeth triangular, 2–3 mm long. Petals whitish or pinkish. Standard 25–27 mm long; limb oblong, 6.5–8 mm wide, emarginate, constricted below the middle, gradually narrowing into the claw. Wings 23–24 mm long; limbs narrowly oblong, obtuse, ca. 10–11 × 1.2 mm; claw ca. 13 mm long. Keel ca. 19–20 mm long; limbs narrowly elliptic, with widely-curved lower edge and straight upper edge, pink-purple at apex, ca. 13–14 × 2.2 mm; claw ca. 6 mm long. Ovary sessile, white hairy; style glabrous. Mature legumes not seen.
Flowering in June.
Astragalus liuaiminii is currently known only from Habahe County in northwest Xinjiang Province, China, where it grows at an altitude of 1000–1100 m, on dry gravel slopes.
The species is named in honour of Mr. Aimin Liu, who collected the type specimens.
爱民黄芪 (Ai Min Huang Qi).
Astragalus liuaiminii has a restricted distribution area. It is only known from the upstream region of Habahe County, where there is no natural protection area. The total population size of the species is estimated no more than 100 individuals. According to the
The new species is close to A. wenquanensis S. B. Ho, but differs chiefly in leaves having single leaflet (vs. 3–5 leaflets) and inflorescences with 1–2 flowers (vs. 5–7 flowers). It is also similar to A. monophyllus Maxim in leaf shape, but differs in its calyx expanding into a sac-like and totally enveloping the pod (vs. calyx tubular, and ruptured by pod as it matures). Astragalus monophyllus is distributed in the northeastern and southern regions of Xinjiang, and belongs to subg. Cercidothrix, while A. liuaiminii is only found in Habahe County of the Altai Mountains in the northern part of Xinjiang, belonging to subg. Calycocystis. The calyx is an important taxonomic characteristic of the genus Astragalus, these two species have distinctly different calyces representative of different subgenera. The differences between A. liuaiminii, A. wenquanensis and A. monophyllus are summarised in Table
Morphological comparisons among Astragalus liuaiminii, A. wenquanensis and A. monophyllus.
Characters | A. liuaiminii | A. wenquanensis | A. monophyllus |
---|---|---|---|
Subgenera | subg. Calycocystis | subg. Calycocystis | subg. Cercidothrix |
leaf | Single leaflet | 3–5 leaflets | 1–3 leaflets |
inflorescence | 1–2 flowers | 5–7 flowers | 1–2 flowers |
calyx | light green suffused, covered with white hairs, expanding to become saccate and enveloping the pod after flowering | red suffused, covered with white and black hairs, expanding to become saccate and enveloping the pod after flowering | calyx tubular, not expanding and becoming saccate, and ruptured by pod after flowering |
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
This research was supported by Yili Normal University Special Project for Introducing High-level Talents (2023RCYJ07), Xinjiang Tianchi Talents Introduction Program.
All authors have contributed equally.
Zong-Zong Yang https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3618-6970
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.