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Research Article
Ranunculus jiguanshanicus (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China
expand article infoWen-Qun Fei‡§, Qiong Yuan‡‡, Qin-Er Yang‡‡
‡ South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
§ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Corresponding author: Qiong Yuan ( yuanqiong@scbg.ac.cn )

Academic editor: Marco Pellegrini
© 2023 Wen-Qun Fei, Qiong Yuan, Qin-Er Yang.
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: Fei W-Q, Yuan Q, Yang Q-E (2023) Ranunculus jiguanshanicus (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China. PhytoKeys 219: 57-75. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.219.96266
Open Access

Abstract

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Chongzhou in Sichuan province, China, is here described and illustrated. The new species is easily distinguishable from other Chinese members of the genus by an array of characters, including small stature, glabrous and prostrate stems, 3-foliolate leaves with obvious petiolules (3–5 mm long), unequally 3-sected leaflets, lanceolate to linear ultimate leaflet segments, small flowers (5.2–6 mm in diameter), and long styles in the carpels and achenes (ca. 0.8 mm long). A distribution map of this new species is also provided.

Keywords

Asia, buttercups, Ranunculales, Ranunculus glareosus, Ranunculus pegaeus

Introduction

Ranunculus L., comprising approximately 600 species, is the largest genus in the Ranunculaceae and is widely distributed in all continents (Tamura 1995; Hörandl et al. 2005; Paun et al. 2005; Hörandl and Emadzade 2012). In China, one of the centers of species diversity of Ranunculus, more than 150 species and 30 varieties are currently recognized in the genus (Wang 1995a, b, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019a, b, 2022; Yang 2000; Wang and Gilbert 2001; Wang and Liao 2009; Luo and Zhao 2013; Wang and Chen 2015; Wang et al. 2016; Yuan and Yang 2017a, b, c; Zhang et al. 2020; Fei et al. 2022, 2023a, b).

During a survey of herbarium specimens of Ranunculus from China for the first author’s Ph.D. dissertation project, one gathering, W.B. Ju, L. Zhang & D.K. Chen AZH01290 (CDBI) (Fig. 1), from Jiguan Shan in the Anzihe Nature Reserve in Chongzhou, Sichuan province, China, caught our attention. This gathering had been previously identified on the determination slips as R. glareosus Hand.-Mazz., a species distributed in China’s Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet) and Yunnan (Handel-Mazzetti 1931; Liou 1980; Wang and Gilbert 2001). The plants on the two sheets of the gathering, which have unique leaf morphology and very small flowers, certainly do not belong to R. glareosus or any other members of Ranunculus currently known for China.

Figure 1. 

Two specimens of Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov. (A, B) previously misidentified as R. glareosus. China, Sichuan province, Chongzhou, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Jiguan Shan, 30°46'9.75"N, 103°10'11.65"E, alt. 2939 m, on rocks in fir forest, 16 June 2016, W.B. Ju, L. Zhang & D.K. Chen AZH01290 (CDBI). Insets: leaf blades.

During a botanical expedition to Sichuan from June to July 2022, we successfully discovered a flowering population of this species in early June on Jiguan Shan in Chongzhou, where the gathering W.B. Ju, L. Zhang & D.K. Chen AZH01290 was made. Moreover, we discovered a fruiting population in early July on Xiling Xue Shan in Dayi, a mountain closely adjacent to Jiguan Shan. Based on our observations of living plants in the wild, we confirmed all the diagnostic characters of the new species observed from the herbarium specimens and determined that the gathering and the two populations in question represent a new species. Morphologically, this new species is somewhat similar to R. pegaeus Hand.-Mazz., a species occurring in southwestern China (Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan), India (Sikkim) and Nepal (Handel-Mazzetti 1939; Liou 1980; Wang and Gilbert 2001), but differs by an array of characters. It is described below as R. jiguanshanicus.

Materials and methods

For morphological comparison, we critically examined specimens or high-resolution specimen images of Ranunculus glareosus, R. jiguanshanicus and R. pegaeus at CDBI, E, KUN, PE, and WU (acronyms according to Thiers 2022). We also observed living plants in one population each in R. glareosus (Menyuan in Qinghai province) and R. pegaeus (Maoxian in Sichuan province) and those in two populations of R. jiguanshanicus (Chongzhou and Dayi in Sichuan province). The morphological description of R. jiguanshanicus was based on observations of both herbarium specimens and living plants in the wild.

Taxonomy

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus W.Q.Fei, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77312739-1
Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Diagnosis

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus is readily distinguishable from all other Chinese species of Ranunculus by a unique array of characters, including small stature, glabrous and prostrate stems, 3-foliolate leaves with obvious petiolules (3–5 mm long), unequally 3-sected leaflets, lanceolate to linear ultimate leaflet segments, small flowers (5.2–6 mm in diameter), and long styles in the carpels and achenes (ca. 0.8 mm long).

Type

China. Sichuan province: Chongzhou, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Jiguan Shan, 30°46'5.8"N, 103°10'21.93"E, alt. 2998 m, among moss on rocks or rocky cliffs in moist places in fir forests, 10 June 2022, W.Q. Fei 581 (holotype: IBSC; isotypes: IBSC, PE).

Description

Herbs perennial, terrestrial or rupicolous. Roots 2–5, 6–10 cm long, fibrous, slender, slightly thickened at base. Stems 7–15 cm long, prostrate, glabrous, unbranched to few-branched. Basal leaves 2–5, 3-foliolate, long-petiolate; petioles 2–4 cm long, glabrous; blades 0.8–1 × 0.8–1.3 cm, suborbicular, thinly chartaceous, adaxially green, abaxially light green, both sides glabrous; leaflets 3, unequally 3-sected, petiolulate, petiolules 3–5 mm long, ultimate leaflet segments 3–4 × 0.8–1.2 mm, narrowly lanceolate to linear, margin entire, apex 1–2-denticulate to 1–2-cleft. Lower cauline leaves 2–3, similar to basal ones but smaller. Upper cauline leaves 1–2, 3-foliolate, subsessile or sessile, adaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, abaxially glabrous, central leaflet 4.5–5 × 1–1.2 mm, narrowly lanceolate to linear, margin entire, lateral leaflets entire, 1–2-lobate or 2–3-sected, ultimate leaflet segments 3–3.5 × 1–1.2 mm, narrowly lanceolate to linear. Inflorescences terminal, 1(–2)-flowered. Flowers 5.2–6 mm in diameter; pedicels 1–2 cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; receptacles ca. 1.2 mm long, clavate, glabrous; sepals 5, 2.2–2.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, elliptic to obovate, patent, green tinged with yellowish, concave, both sides glabrous; petals 5(–6), 3.2–3.5 × 1.8–2 mm, obovate, yellow, glabrous, apex rounded, nectary pit without a scale, claws ca. 0.4 mm long; stamens 6–8, ca. 2 mm long, filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, narrowly linear, anthers ca. 0.5 mm long, oblong; gynoecium subglobose; carpels 8–12, ovaries ca. 0.8 × 0.6 mm, ovoid, laterally flattened, biconvex, glabrous, styles ca. 0.8 mm long, glabrous, apex recurved. Aggregate fruit ca. 4 × 4.2 mm, subglobose; achenes ca. 1.2 × 1 mm, widely ovoid, laterally flattened, biconvex, glabrous, styles ca. 0.8 mm long, persistent, glabrous, apex recurved.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the type locality of the new species, i.e. Jiguan Shan in the Anzihe Nature Reserve in Chongzhou, Sichuan province, China.

Phenology

Flowering in early June; fruiting at the end of June.

Distribution and habitat

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus is currently known from its type locality, i.e., Jiguan Shan in the Anzihe Nature Reserve in Chongzhou, and from the closely adjacent Xiling Xue Shan in Dayi, both in Sichuan province, China (Fig. 6). It grows among moss on rocks or rocky cliffs in moist places in fir forests at altitudes of 2900–3150 m above sea level.

Conservation status

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus is currently known only from two populations in Sichuan province, China. The Chongzhou population consists of ca. 150 individuals within an area of less than 10 m2. The size of the Dayi population remains unknown. The conservation status of R. jiguanshanicus should better be categorized as “Data Deficient (DD)” before adequate information of this species is acquired (IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2022).

Discussion

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus is readily assigned to R. sect. Ranunculus due to its swollen achenes with a distinct beak and receptacles hardly enlarged after anthesis. In his infrageneric classification of the Chinese Ranunculus, Wang (1995a, b) placed almost all the alpine species within this section under the name R. sect. Auricomus (Spach) Schur.

Morphologically, Ranunculus jiguanshanicus is somewhat similar to R. pegaeus (Figs 7–10), also a member of R. sect. Ranunculus, in having prostrate and glabrous stems (Figs 2A, B, 8A, B), small flowers (Figs 3D, 9D), subglobose aggregate fruit (Figs 3I, 9I), and glabrous carpels (Figs 3H, 9H), achenes (Figs 3G, 9G) and receptacles (Figs 3K, 9K). However, it differs by having 3-foliolate leaves with obvious petiolules (3–5 mm long), unequally 3-sected leaflets, lanceolate to linear, entire or 1–2-denticulate to 1–2-cleft ultimate leaflet segments (Fig. 3C), and styles in the carpels and achenes ca. 0.8 mm long (Fig. 3H, G). In R. pegaeus, the leaves are 3-partite, 3-sected or 3-foliolate with the central segment/leaflet rhombic or oblong, entire or 3-denticulate and the lateral segments/leaflets obliquely flabellate, entire or unequally 2-cleft (Figs 9C, 10), and styles in the carpels and achenes ca. 0.3 mm long (Fig. 9H, G). A detailed morphological comparison between R. jiguanshanicus and R. pegaeus is given in Table 1.

Figure 2. 

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov. in the wild A, B habitat C habit. The left plant (at fruiting stage) in B photographed by De-Chang Meng from Xiling Xue Shan in Dayi, Sichuan province, and the right two plants (at flowering stage) photographed by Wen-Qun Fei from Jiguan Shan in the Anzihe Nature Reserve in Chongzhou, Sichuan province.

Figure 3. 

Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov. in the wild A roots B portion of stem C leaves D flower (lateral view) E flower (top view) F sepal (left: abaxial side; right: adaxial side) G petal (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side) H stamens I carpels J aggregate fruit K achenes L receptacle. A–H photographed by Wen-Qun Fei from the population on Jiguan Shan in Chongzhou, Sichuan province and I–L photographed by De-Chang Meng from the population on Xiling Xue Shan in Dayi, Sichuan province.

Table 1.
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Morphological comparison of Ranunculus glareosus, R. jiguanshanicus sp. nov. and R. pegaeus.

R. glareosus R. jiguanshanicus R. pegaeus
Roots 2‒5, more than 15 cm long 2‒5, 6‒10 cm long 5‒10, 8‒12 cm long
Stems sparsely puberulous glabrous glabrous
Basal leaves 3-sected or 3-foliolate, fleshy, adaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, abaxially glabrous, central segment/leaflet ovate or rhombic, entire or 3-lobate, lateral segments/leaflets flabellate, unequally 2-partite 3-foliolate, thinly chartaceous, both sides glabrous, leaflets unequally 3-sected, with ultimate leaf segments narrowly lanceolate to linear, entire or 1‒2-denticulate to 1‒2-cleft 3-partite, 3-sected or 3-foliolate, thinly chartaceous, both sides glabrous, central segment/leaflet rhombic or oblong, entire or 3-denticulate, lateral segments/leaflets obliquely flabellate, entire or unequally 2-cleft
Flowers terminal, 1‒4, 15‒17 mm in diameter terminal, 1(‒2), 5.2‒6 mm in diameter terminal or axillary, 3‒7, 5.5‒8 mm in diameter
Receptacles 3‒5 mm long, clavate, glabrous ca. 1.2 mm long, clavate, glabrous ca. 1 mm long, clavate, glabrous
Sepals adaxially glabrous, abaxially puberulous both sides glabrous both sides glabrous
Petals 9‒10 × 7‒8 mm, widely obovate 3.2‒3.5 × 1.8‒2 mm, obovate 3‒3.5 × 1.5‒1.7 mm, obovate
Carpels 20‒35; ovaries ovoid, glabrous; styles ca. 0.2 mm long, straight 8‒12; ovaries ovoid, glabrous; styles ca. 0.8 mm long, apex recurved 18‒22; ovaries ovoid, glabrous; styles ca. 0.3 mm long, apex recurved
Aggregate fruit ellipsoid subglobose subglobose
Achenes widely ovoid, glabrous, styles ca. 0.2 mm long, straight widely ovoid, glabrous, styles ca. 0.8 mm long, apex recurved widely ovoid, glabrous, styles ca. 0.3 mm long, apex recurved

As mentioned earlier, a gathering of Ranunculus jiguanshanicus, W.B. Ju, L. Zhang & D.K. Chen AZH01290 (CDBI), from Chongzhou in Sichuan, the type locality of this species, had been previously misidentified as R. glareosus (Figs 11–14). Morphologically, R. jiguanshanicus is very easily distinguishable from R. glareosus by having glabrous stems (vs. sparsely puberulous) (Figs 3B, 13B), thinly chartaceous leaves (vs. fleshy), leaflets of the 3-foliolate leaves with obvious petiolules (3–5 mm vs. 0.5–2 mm long), unequally 3-sected, with the ultimate leaflet segments narrowly lanceolate to linear, entire or 1–2-denticulate to 1–2-cleft (vs. 3-sected or 3-foliolate, central segment/leaflet ovate or rhombic, entire or 3-lobed, and lateral segments/leaflets flabellate, unequally 2-partite) (Figs 3C, 13C), smaller flowers (5.2–6 mm vs. 15–17 mm in diameter) (Figs 3D, E, 13D, E), abaxially glabrous sepals (vs. puberulous) (Figs 3F, 13F), smaller (3.2–3.5 × 1.8–2 mm vs. 9–10 × 7–8 mm) and obovate petals (vs. widely obovate) (Figs 3G, 13G), subglobose aggregate fruit (vs. ellipsoid) (Figs 3J, 13J), and longer styles in the carpels and achenes (ca. 0.8 mm vs. ca. 0.2 mm long) (Figs 3I, K, 13I, K). In habitat, R. jiguanshanicus grows among moss on rocks or rocky cliffs in moist places in fir forests at altitudes of 2900–3150 m above sea level, whereas R. glareosus grows on alpine scree slopes at altitudes of 3900–4800 m above sea level. A detailed morphological comparison between R. glareosus and R. jiguanshanicus is given in Table 1.

Figure 4. 

Holotype sheet of Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov.

Figure 5. 

Isotype (A–C) and paratype (D) sheets of Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov.

Figure 6. 

Distribution of Ranunculus jiguanshanicus sp. nov. (black square). Arrow indicates the type locality.

Figure 7. 

Type sheets (A, B) of Ranunculus pegaeus.

Figure 8. 

Ranunculus pegaeus in the wild (China, Sichuan, Maoxian) A, B habitat C habit. Photographed by Wen-Qun Fei.

Figure 9. 

Ranunculus pegaeus in the wild (China, Sichuan, Maoxian) A roots B portion of stem C leaves D flower (lateral view) E flower (top view) F sepal (left: abaxial side; right: adaxial side) G petal (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side) H stamens I carpels J aggregate fruit K achenes L receptacle. Photographed by Wen-Qun Fei.

Figure 10. 

Ranunculus pegaeus. China, Sichuan, Maoxian, W.Q. Fei 569 (IBSC).

Figure 11. 

Type sheet of Ranunculus glareosus.

Figure 12. 

Ranunculus glareosus in the wild (China, Qinghai, Menyuan) A, B habitat C habit. Photographed by Wen-Qun Fei.

Figure 13. 

Ranunculus glareosus in the wild (China, Qinghai, Menyuan) A roots B portion of stem C leaves D flower (lateral view) E flower (top view) F sepal (left: abaxial side; right: adaxial side) G petal (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side) H stamens I carpels J aggregate fruit K achenes L receptacle. Photographed by Wen-Qun Fei.

Figure 14. 

Ranunculus glareosus. China, Qinghai, Menyuan, W.Q. Fei 623 (IBSC).

Additional specimens examined

(paratypes). China. Sichuan: Chongzhou, W.B. Ju, L. Zhang & D.K. Chen AZH01290 (CDBI); Dayi, W.Q. Fei 897 (IBSC).

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. Andrey Erst, Dr. Andriy Novikov, and Dr. Marco Pellegrini, for their valuable comments on the manuscript. We thank the curators of CDBI, E, KUN, PE, and WU for allowing us to use their scanned images of specimens and for research facilities. We also thank Jun Li and De-chang Meng for their assistance with the fieldwork. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 31870184, 31770218, 31970210).

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