Oreocharis curvituba J.J.Wei & W.B.Xu, 2016

Wei, Jiajia, Xiong, Guochun, Zou, Chunyu, Pan, Bo & Xu, Weibin, 2016, Oreocharis curvituba, a new species of Gesneriaceae from northeastern Guangxi, China, Phytotaxa 280 (2), pp. 190-194 : 190-193

Oreocharis curvituba J.J.Wei & W.B.Xu , sp.nov. ( Figs. 1–2 )

Oreocharis curvituba is similar to O. stenosiphon Mich.Möller & A.Weber (2011: 26) and O. magnidens Chun ex Pan (1987: 276) , but it differs from the latter by its corolla tube slightly curved, marked with purple star and a ring of glandular hairs at mouth.

Type: — CHINA. Guangxi: Guanyang County, Qianjiadong National Nature Reserve, on rock surfaces under evergreen and deciduous broad leaved mixed forest, elev. ca. 950 m, 25°30 ′ N, 111°17 ′ E, 28 September 2015, in flower, Bo Pan & Jia-Jia Wei et al. GY002 (holotype: IBK!).

Herbs perennial. Rhizome subterete, 0.5–2 cm long, 0.5–1 cm in diam. Leaves basal, 5–13; petiole 1–3 cm long; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, 3.5–10 × 2–5 cm, papery when dry, apex blunt to round, base oblique, cuneate or attenuate, margin denticulate, adaxial surface strongly bullate, densely spreading villous; lateral veins 4–7 on each side of midrib, inconspicuous. Scapes 1–7, 3–15 cm high, brown pubescent, glandular puberulent apically; cymes 2–5 flowered; bracts 2, opposite, lanceolate-linear, ca. 3 mm long, glandular villous outside, margin entire; pedicel 1–3 cm long, densely spreading glandular pubescence; calyx deeply 5 lobed, segments ovate-triangular, 2–2.2 × 0.7–1 mm, apex acute, outside glabrous, inner surface sparsely glandular puberulent. Corolla 1.1–1.3 cm long, outside sparsely spreading glandular-pubescence, marked with purple star and a ring of glandular puberulent at mouth; corolla tube funnelform, slightly curved, ca. 7 mm long, 3.5 mm in diam. at mouth; lobes oblong, apex entire or slightly serrate, upper lips 2-lipped, ca. 3.8–4 × 1.2–1.4 mm; lower lips 3-lobed, ca. 4.2–4.8 × 1.3–1.5 mm. Stamens 2, adnate to corolla base, filaments glabrous, ca. 2 mm long; anthers separate at apex, rounded, ca. 0.5 mm in diam. Staminode 1, ca. 1 mm long. Disc cupular, margin repand, ca. 1 mm high. Pistil glabrous, 2–2.3 mm long; ovary oblong, ca. 1.2 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, included in the disc; stigmas 2, broadly ovate, ca. 0.6 mm long.

Habitat:— Grows in evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest, on moist rock surfaces, at elevation ca. 950 m. The main companion species are: Sorbus folgneri (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder ( Rosaceae ), Schima argentea E.Pritz. ( Theaceae ), Blastus dunnianus H.Lév. ( Melastomataceae ), Lycopodium japonicum Thunb. ( Lycopodiaceae ), Selaginella delicatula (Desv. ex Poir.) Alston ( Selaginellaceae ), Elatostema obtusum var. trilobulatum (Hayata) W.T.Wang ( Urticaceae ), and Dryopteris sp. ( Dryopteridaceae ).

Distribution:— Oreocharis curvituba is so far only found at the type locality, Qianjiadong National Nature Reserve in northeastern Guangxi, China.

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

Etymology:— The epithet refers to the corolla tube which is slightly curved.

Additional specimens examined (Paratype): — CHINA. Guangxi: Guanyang County, Qianjiadong National Nature Reserve, elev. ca. 1360 m, 25°30 ′ N, 111°17 ′ E, 20 October 2015, in fruit, Wei-Bin Xu & Guo-Chun Xiong et al. GY055 (IBK!).

Relationship:— This new species is closely related to Oreocharis stenosiphon and O. magnidens , from which its flowers are obviously different as stated in the diagnosis. The detailed morphological differences between these species are summarized in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Oreocharis curvituba. A. Habit. B. Calyx lobes. C. Opened corolla. D. Pistil. E. Stamens. Drawn by Wen-Hong Lin from the holotype.

FIGURE 2. Oreocharis curvituba. A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Flowering habit. D. Flower in front view. E. Flower in side view. F. Opened corolla and stamens. G. Stamens and pistil. H. Pistil and disc.