identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
D8625E0105C75956B2330D5C9419736C.text	D8625E0105C75956B2330D5C9419736C.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Aristolochia ferox Y. Fan Wang, Z. R. Guo & J. G. Onyenedum 2026	<div><p>Aristolochia ferox Y. Fan Wang, Z. R. Guo &amp; J. G. Onyenedum sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 1, 2</p><p>Type.</p><p>China. • Guangxi: Liuzhou City, Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, Anchui Township, 1175 m a. s. l., 15 Jul 2023, Renping Jia &amp; Zirui Guo yw 00140 (holotype: IBK! [00473343]; isotypes: BAZI!, CSH!, HK!, IBSC!, KUN!, PE!) .</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Aristolochia ferox is most similar to A. championii in its woody lianous habit, narrowly lanceolate to subulate leaves with rounded to truncate bases, and a large, campanulate calyx limb, but differs by the calyx limb adaxially entirely dark purple and densely muricate with coarse, fleshy, conical outgrowths, with the lower margin revolute upward, strongly incurved and connivent, auriform in frontal view (vs. reddish-brown, colliculate only around the throat, the lower margin obliquely deflexed), and by the throat deep dark purple, elliptic (vs. yellow with purplish-red flecks, semicircular to arch-shaped). This distinctive floral syndrome readily separates the new species from other superficially similar species, including A. quangbinhensis, A. fangchi, and I. haimingii, which lack this morphology. Detailed morphological comparisons among A. ferox and its closely related congeners are provided in Fig. 3, Suppl. material 1: fig. S 1, and Table 1.</p><p>Description.</p><p>Woody liana 6–8 m long. Root system tuberous, composed of fusiform to globose segments constricted at intervals, forming a distinctly moniliform underground structure. Stems terete; young stems densely rusty-golden villous; older stems lignified, subcylindrical, bark finely fissured. Leaves simple, alternate, petiolate; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm long, pubescent, often twisted. Leaf blade narrowly lanceolate to subulate, 13–36 × 3–6 cm, papery; adaxial surface glabrous except for sparse pubescence along veins; abaxial surface sparsely appressed-pubescent; base rounded to truncate; apex acuminate; margin entire; venation pinnate, with one basal pair strongly ascending and connecting with lateral pairs, all converging toward the apex, giving a pseudo-triplinerved appearance; secondary veins 11–15 pairs. Inflorescences dimorphic: (1) axillary on young stems, peduncles 1–5 cm long, 2–8 - noded, each node with a sessile bracteole, linear or lanceolate, 8–10 × 3–5 mm, rusty-villous; distal nodes fertile, each bearing a single flower; usually only the terminal node bearing one flower, occasionally the terminal and penultimate nodes both fertile; flowers opening basipetally. (2) cauliflorous on older stems: at persistent axillary nodes, fascicles of 8–15 cymules are produced. Cymules pedunculate; 8–15 cm long, 5–10 - noded, densely rusty-villous, each node bearing a small sessile bracteole, linear or lanceolate, 8–10 × 3–5 mm. Flowers restricted to the distal 2–3 nodes, each 1 - flowered (usually only the terminal node; occasionally also the penultimate or antepenultimate). Anthesis basipetal within each cymule. Pedicels 0.7–1.5 cm long, densely rusty-villous, often twisted. Perianth zygomorphic; abaxial surface yellowish-brown with purplish-red ridged venation, densely erect-villous. Utricle long-ovoid to cylindrical, 2–3 × 1–1.2 cm, constricted at ovary junction, dilated toward basal tube; adaxial side with a translucent white window at calyx – ovary junction; adaxial surface arachnoid-villous near basal tube, otherwise sparsely villous, base color vinaceous beneath indumentum. Basal tube 6.5–8.5 × 1.0–2.0 cm, reddish-brown, adaxially smooth, glabrous, waxy in texture. Upper tube 3–5 × 1.0– 1.5 cm, inner surface yellow in proximal 1.5–2 cm, glabrous, waxy, distally black. Limb 3 - lobed, lobes wholly connate; lower margin revolute upward, strongly incurved and connivent, auriform in frontal view; adaxial surface entirely black, muricate with coarse, fleshy, conical outgrowths; in natural revolute form limb region 5.0–6.0 × 7.5–10.0 cm, in pressed vouchers limb spreading to 7.5–10.0 × 7.5–10.0 cm, nearly circular. Throat elliptic, 1.8–3.0 × 1.5–2.0 cm, velvety black. Gynostemium 3 - lobed, fleshy, 12–15 mm high, 3–6 mm diam., apex rounded. Anthers oblong, 7–10 mm long, extrorse. Ovary inferior, cylindric, slightly curved, with six adaxial ridges concealed by dense rusty indumentum. Fruit capsule not observed.</p><p>Paratypes.</p><p>China. • Guangxi: Liuzhou City, Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, Wangdong Township, Jiuwanshan Mountains, Yuyashan, 850–1180 m a. s. l., 26 Jun 1958, S. H. Chun 14711 (paratypes: IBSC! [0127615], IBK! [00014229]) ; • same county and township, Jiuwanshan Mountains, Lengshuiyao, 18 Jul 1958, S. H. Chun 15737 (paratypes: IBSC! [0127614, 0127619], IBK! [00014227], NAS! [00302195]) . • Hechi City, Huanjiang County, Dongxing Township, Yangmeiao, along a ditch in broad-leaved forest, 1199 m a. s. l., 08 December 2012, Huanjiang County Survey Team 4512226121208009 LY (IBK! [00360056]) .</p><p>Distribution and habitat.</p><p>Aristolochia ferox is currently known only from northern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, where it is largely distributed within or adjacent to the Jiuwanshan Mountain range. Three extant populations have been documented, all from Rongshui County, Liuzhou City, including one population in Anchui Township and two populations in Sirong Township. The species occurs on montane slopes composed of metamorphosed sandstone and siltstone at elevations of 500–1500 m a. s. l., and is commonly associated with riparian habitats along creeks. Two historical collections (S. H. Chun 14711, 15737) from Wangdong Township, Jiuwanshan Mountains, also within Rongshui County, indicate a former presence in this area (Suppl. material 1: figs S 2, S 3). In addition, a collection from Huanjiang County (Huanjiang County Survey Team 4512226121208009 LY), likewise within the Jiuwanshan Mountain range, further supports its historical distribution in this region.</p><p>Phenology.</p><p>The flowering season extends from June to November. Individual flowers remain open for up to two weeks. Fruits and seeds have not yet been observed.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The species epithet ferox (Latin: “ fierce, wild, untamed ”) refers to the wholly dark purple, muricate adaxial calyx limb that gives the perianth its formidable and aggressive appearance.</p><p>Vernacular name.</p><p>Chinese: 饕餮关木通 (tāo tiè guān mù tōng). Named for the resemblance of the flower’s frontal view to the gaping mouth of Tāo Tiè (饕餮), a mythical beast and cultural totem in Chinese folklore.</p><p>Usages and conservation status.</p><p>Aristolochia ferox is locally recognized as an ethnobotanical herb used in traditional practices for the treatment of snakebite and urologic ailments, with preparations made from dried underground rhizomes and old stems. According to our field surveys, these reported uses have not been clinically validated. Nevertheless, a local collection of this species for medicinal purposes was observed. Since its discovery, we have identified only three extant populations, each with fewer than five individuals, often with just one or two mature plants and no evidence of a stable population structure (i. e., no seedlings or young plants were found). Although individuals produce abundant flowers, the fruit set is extremely low, and capsules are not observed, suggesting possible reproductive difficulties in the remaining populations. Based on our field data, the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is estimated at 104.196 km 2 and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) at 12 km 2, values that correspond to the Endangered (EN) thresholds under IUCN Red List Criteria B 1 ab (iii, v) + 2 ab (iii, v) (IUCN, 2012; IUCN Guidelines, 2024). However, given the extremely small number of mature individuals (&lt;15 in total), the absence of any subpopulation exceeding 50 individuals, ongoing exploitation for folk medicine, and signs of reproductive limitation, we preliminarily assess A. ferox as Critically Endangered (CR) under both criteria C 2 a (i) and D, and strongly advocate for immediate measures to ensure its conservation.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D8625E0105C75956B2330D5C9419736C	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Wang, Yifan;Liao, Shuai;Landrein, Sven;Nguyen, Khang Sinh;Onyenedum, Joyce G.;Guo, Zirui	Wang, Yifan, Liao, Shuai, Landrein, Sven, Nguyen, Khang Sinh, Onyenedum, Joyce G., Guo, Zirui (2026): Aristolochia ferox, a new species of subg. Siphisia (Aristolochiaceae) from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys 273: 171-183, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.273.169468
