Oreocharis corallodiscoides, a new species of the tribe Trichosporeae (Gesneriaceae), is described and illustrated. This new species is characterized by its ovate, rounded or sometimes rhombic leaves densely covered with appressed hairs, yellow corolla, and the presence of two purple triangular appendages inside the base of the corolla tube. It is known only from the type locality, Luzhijiang dry-hot valley in Yimen county, central Yunnan, southwest China. A morphological comparison with its morphologically similar species (O. agnesiae and O. longifolia) is also presented.

Dry-hot valley, endemism, morphological comparison, taxonomy, xerophyte

The genus Oreocharis Benth. was first established by the British botanist G. Bentham (1876). For a long time, it was regarded as a medium-sized genus comprising approximately twenty to thirty species (Wang et al. 1998). Based on molecular data and morphological evaluation, Möller et al. (2011) expanded the delimitation of Oreocharis by incorporating ten small-sized or monotypic genera (e.g. Ancylostemon Craib, Dayaoshania W.T.Wang, Isometrum Craib, Paraisometrum W.T. Wang, Thamnocharis W.T.Wang, etc.) into a newly delimited Oreocharis. Additionally, several species previously placed in Briggsia Craib were transferred to Oreocharis, thereby expanding the genus to comprise approximately 90 species (Chen et al. 2014; Möller et al. 2014). The revised genus is characterized by rosette-forming herbs with spirally arranged leaves, scapose inflorescences, and loculicidally dehiscent capsules (Möller et al. 2011). Beyond these shared traits, members of Oreocharis exhibit considerable variation in flower morphology (Möller et al. 2011). The treatment of Möller et al. (2011) is generally accepted by recent researchers, such as Fu et al. (2019), Tan et al. (2020), Yang et al. (2020), Li et al. (2023), Xie et al. (2024) and others. After the generic redefinition, about 70 species (Möller 2019; Cai et al. 2020; Chen et al. 2020; Yang et al. 2020) of Oreocharis have been described and officially published. Currently, the genus Oreocharis contains approximately 160 species (GRC 2025). This genus is mainly distributed in southern and southwestern China, with a few species extending into or occurring in northern Vietnam, India, Bhutan, Japan, Thailand and Myanmar (Möller et al. 2011; Cai et al. 2020). Since 2011, approximately 70 new species of Oreocharis have been continuously discovered and published (e.g. Cai et al. 2019, 2020; Chen et al. 2020; Yang and Shi 2021; and summarized in Möller 2019; Wen et al. 2025). Most of these new species are from China, highlighting the need for continued investigation and study of Oreocharis diversity in China.

During botanical fieldwork in the Luzhijiang valley, Yimen county, Yunnan province, southwest China, in September 2015, we discovered and collected an unknown species of Gesneriaceae. After a detailed comparison with morphologically similar species, we identified it as a member of Oreocharis based on its inflated corolla tube, widely open corolla, and yellow floral coloration—features shared with O. longifolia (the type species of the genus Briggsia, now placed in Oreocharis), and this plant represents a distinct new species.

The study followed standard practices in plant taxonomic surveys and herbarium research. Morphological analyses of the new species were examined through observations of living plants and herbarium specimens. Observation of live plants was carried out on the field population, with approximately 30 individuals directly analyzed and studied. Meanwhile, fresh flowers were brought to the laboratory for dissection and observation. Digital images of type specimens of the genus Oreocharis, available at the JSTOR Global Plants (http://plants.jstor.org/), were thoroughly examined. Additionally, collections (actual specimens or digital photos) housed in the herbaria BM, E, NE, GH, KUN, and YUKU (following acronyms standardized by Thiers (2025) [updated continuously]) were carefully reviewed and compared to the new species. The pertinent taxonomic literature (Wang et al. 1990, 1998; Wei et al. 2010; Möller 2019; Wen et al. 2025; GRC 2025) was consulted extensively to ensure that no known species were overlooked.

Given its habitat and morphological characteristics, Oreocharis corallodiscoides appears to be a xerophytic plant well adapted to arid environments. This new species has leathery, thick-textured leaves densely covered with an indumentum and characterized by a relatively small leaf area. Unlike many congeners that grow on damp, shady rocks or cliffs in forested or rocky areas (Wei et al. 2010), O. corallodiscoides is found on open, dry, rocky slopes within dry-hot valleys. Additionally, the presence of two purple, triangular appendages at the base of the corolla tube (Fig. 2H) represents a character unique to this species, as it has not been observed in other members of the genus by us or documented in existing literature.

Morphologically, Oreocharis corallodiscoides resembles O. agnesiae, sharing similar leaf indumentum and flower morphology. However, these two species show significant differences in corolla color: O. corallodiscoides has a uniformly yellow corolla, whereas the corolla of O. agnesiae is purple. Additionally, their leaf morphology also differs markedly. Geographically, O. corallodiscoides has a distinct and non-overlapping distribution range with O. agnesiae (Fig. 4). Oreocharis corallodiscoides is restricted to the Luzhijiang valley, an upstream tributary of the Yuanjiang river, at elevations of 1,300–1,400 m in central Yunnan. In contrast, O. agnesiae is distributed in the valleys of the Jinsha river and its tributaries at elevations of 1,900–3,000 m in northwestern Yunnan and southwestern Sichuan (Fig. 4). Oreocharis corallodiscoides is morphologically similar to O. longifolia (Craib) Mich. Möller et A. Weber in sharing inflated corolla tube and yellow color. However, O. corallodiscoides obviously differs from O. longifolia by its leaf blade shape (ovate to rotund vs. lanceolate to oblong), petiole length (0.5–2 vs. 3.5–5 cm), leaf length (2.2–3.5 vs. 8–23 cm), leaf margin (crenate vs. serrate), indumentum of pistil (glandular hair vs. glabrous), appendages (presence vs. absence) and filaments (thickened vs. not thickened).

Figure 4. 

Geographic distribution of Oreocharis corallodiscoides and its morphologically similar species O. agnesiae.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes). China • Yunnan: Yimen County, Luzhi town, Xiaoluzhi village, elev. ca. 1340 m, 22 Oct. 2015, H. C. Wang et al. YM324 (YUKU).

We sincerely thank Dr. Michael Moeller for sharing his taxonomic expertise and constructive feedback.