Delphinium umbrosum Handel-Mazzetti (1931: 278)

Yuan, Qiong & Yang, Qin-Er, 2022, Taxonomic studies on the genus Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) from China (XXII): Clarifying morphological distinction between D. drepanocentrum and D. umbrosum and synonymizing D. umbrosoides with D. drepanocentrum, Phytotaxa 572 (3), pp. 243-258 : 250-257

Delphinium umbrosum Handel-Mazzetti (1931: 278) . Figs. 7–9 .

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Ngukala between Zhongdian town and Djitsung (= Qizong) village in Weixi , in Abies forest, alt. 3750–3800 m, 25 August 1915, H. Handel-Mazzetti 7809 (holotype WU!). Fig. 7 .

Description:—Perennial herbs. Rootstock thickened, woody. Stems erect, 30–110 cm tall, simple or branched, shortly retrorsely appressed strigose. Basal and proximal leaves withered by anthesis; cauline leaves long petiolate; petioles 8–20 cm long, sparsely retrorsely strigose, somewhat dilated at base; blades pentagonal-reniform, membranous, very sparsely strigose or subglabrous on both surfaces, 4–10 cm long, 5–12 cm broad, base cordate, 3-lobed to 5–10 mm from the base, central lobe rhombic or narrowly so, base cuneate, 3-lobulate, incised dentate, lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, often 2-lobulate; leaves gradually reduced upward, distal ones smaller, shortly petiolate. Inflorescence a terminal, simple or sometimes compound raceme, 10–30 cm long, 6–15-flowered, densely retrorsely strigose and yellowish glandular-puberulent; proximal bracts leaflike, distal ones small, linear; pedicels ascending or horizontal, densely retrorsely strigose and yellowish glandular-puberulent, 2–8 cm long; bracteoles distal, strigose, linear or linear-subulate, 0.8–1.9 cm long, 0.5–1.8 mm broad. Sepals blue-purple, abaxially puberulent; upper sepal obovate or broadly ovate, 8.5–15 mm long, ca. 8 mm broad, obtuse, spur subulate, 2–2.9 cm long, strongly recurved, base 2–3 mm in diameter, narrowed into a very slender tip; lateral and lower sepals obovate or broadly ovate, 8–16 mm long, ca. 8 mm broad, apex rounded-truncate. Petals bluish; lamina entire, obtuse at apex, glabrous, spur very slender, 2–2.9 mm long. Staminodes bluish, 2-lobed; lobes lanceolate-triangular, 3–6 mm long, white barbate; claws 3–8 mm long. Stamens glabrous. Carpels 3; ovaries sparsely puberulent. Follicles subglabrous.

Distribution and habitat:— Delphinium umbrosum is distributed in northwestern Yunnan (Dali, Deqen, Eryuan, Fugong, Weixi, Zhongdian), China ( Fig. 6 ). It grows in grassy places or thickets at margin of forests or along stream sides at altitudes of 2750–3900 m.

Phenology:—Flowering from August to September; fruiting from September to October.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Dali, Q.E. Yang 9419 (PE00500052, PE00500053); Deqen, C.W. Wang 69050 (PE00500056, PE00500057), C.W. Wang 69052 (LBG00051744, KUN0686098, NAS00184160, PE00500058, PE00500059, WUK); Eryuan, J.M. Delavay 4109 (P00197190, P00197191, P00197192, PE00476715); Fugong, Q. Lin 791959 (KUN0686096, KUN0686097); Weixi, R.C. Ching 22022 (KUN0685180, PE0685181), H.T. Tsai 57615 (KUN0685728, LBG00051758, PE00476713), H.T. Tsai 59689 (KUN0685258, KUN0685260, LBG00051764, NAS00183753, PE00500051), H.T. Tsai 59749 (KUN0685259, KUN0685261, LBG00051757, NAS00183752, PE00500050), H.T. Tsai 59814 (KUN0685262, LBG 00051763, NAS00183751, PE00476707); Zhongdian, Zhongdian Exped. 1426 (HITBC-herbarium no. 074577, KUN0686093, KUN0686094), Z.D. Fang 0996 (SABG004066).

Notes:— Handel-Mazzetti (1931) described Delphinium umbrosum on the basis of a single collection, HandelMazzetti 7809 (WU; Fig. 7 ), from Zhongdian county in northwestern Yunnan, China. In the protologue, the author stated that this species was related to D. delavayi Franchet (1886: 379) , but the latter species differed by having thicker leaves, lanceolate and sessile bracts, much less reflexed spur, much more obliquely truncate upper petals, densely ciliate lateral petals, and very pilose ovaries (“Affine D. Delavayi Franch. quod differt foliis crassioribus, bracteis lanceolatis sessilibus, calcare multo minus reflexo, petalis superioribus multo obliquius truncates, lateralibus crebre ciliatis, ovaries valde pilosis”). Since its description, D. umbrosum has been recognized as an independent species by Wang (1962, 1979 a, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2020), Munz (1968), and Wang & Warnock (2001).

Wang (1962) referred ten collections to Delphinium umbrosum , including C.W. Wang 69050 (PE), C.W. Wang 69052 (PE) from Deqen county in northwestern Yunnan and T.T. Yu 979 (PE), J.Q. Hu et al. 3824 (PE), J.Q. Hu et al. 3859 (PE) all from Yuexi county, J.Q. Hu et al. 1132 (PE), J.Q. Hu et al. 1554 (PE), J.Q. Hu et al. 1607 (PE), J.Q. Hu et al. 4248 (PE) all from Hongxi county (now Meigu county ), and T.T. Yu 3417 (PE) from Leibo county all in southwestern Sichuan. Wang (1965) considered that only the two Yunnan collections ( Fig. 8 ) belonged to D. umbrosum . He thus described a new variety, D. umbrosum var. hispidum , to accommodate the Sichuan collections, with J.Q. Hu et al. 1607 (PE; Fig. 12A ) designated as holotype. He stated that the new variety differed from the type variety, var. umbrosum , by having stem proximally spreading hispid (vs. retrorsely puberulent) and thinner (vs. thicker) (2‒3.5 mm vs. 5‒10 mm in diameter). This treatment was accepted by Wang (1979a, 2020) and Wang & Warnock (2001).

We have examined all the type material of Delphinium umbrosum var. hispidum and determined that this variety is identical with D. omeiense , a species described on the basis of six collections also from southwestern Sichuan and since its description generally recognized by Wang (1979 a, 1984, 2000, 2016, 2020), Wang & Wang (2000), Wang & Warnock (2001), and Xie (2016). In fact, the four sheets of Sichuan Econ. Pl. Exped. 1607 (PE; Fig. 12A–D ), which constitute the type collection of D. umbrosum var. hispidum , belong also to a paratype collection of D. omeiense ( Wang 1979b; Fig. 12B ), because J.Q. Hu et al. 1607 and Sichuan Econ. Pl. Exped. 1607 are actually the same collection, with Hu as the leading participant of the expedition ( Fig. 12C ). Our critical examination indicates that this collection is not mixed, comprising only one taxon. We will deal with D. omeiense in detail elsewhere; in addition to D. umbrosum var. hispidum , several other names should also be reduced to the synonymy of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Delphinium drepanocentrum (●) and D. umbrosum (■). Black arrow indicates the type locality of D. drepanocentrum, red arrow indicates the type locality of D. umbrosoides (= D. drepanocentrum), and blue arrow indicates the type locality of D. umbrosum.

FIGURE 7. Holotype sheet (WU) of Delphinium umbrosum.

FIGURE 8. Selected specimens of Delphinium umbrosum from northwestern Yunnan, China, showing general morphology and indumentum.A. Zhongdian, Zhongdian Exped. 1426 (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: petiole; inset c: inflorescence axis; inset d: pedicel. B. Duplicate (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: petiole; inset c: inflorescence axis; inset d: pedicel. C. Deqen, C.W. 69052 (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: petiole; inset c: inflorescence axis; inset d: pedicel. D. Duplicate (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: petiole; inset c: inflorescence axis; inset d: pedicel.

FIGURE 9. Selected specimens of Delphinium umbrosum from northwestern Yunnan, China, showing general morphology. A, B. Dali, Q.E. Yang 9419 (PE). C, D. J.M. Delavay 4109 (P).

FIGURE 12. Holotype (A) andisotype (B–D) sheetsof Delphinium umbrosum var.hispidum (= D.omeiense), showing general morphology and indumentum. A. Sichuan Econ. Plant Exped. 1607 (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: inflorescence axis; inset c: pedicel. B. Sichuan Econ. Plant Exped. 1607 (PE); inset a: stem (proximal part); inset b: inflorescence axis; inset c: pedicel. C. J.Q. Hu et al. 1607 (= Sichuan Econ. Plant Exped. 1607) (KUN). D. Sichuan Econ. Plant Exped. 1607 (SM). Note that the PE sheet (B) is also a paratype of D. omeiense and the remaining three sheets (A, C, D) are therefore its isoparatypes and that the red arrow in the left lower corner on the field label (C) indicates the collectors, i.e. J.Q. Hu et al. and thus Sichuan Econ. Plant Exped. 1607 and J.Q. Hu et al. 1607 actually belong to the same collection.