Onosma fuyunensis Y. He & Q.R. Liu, 2020

He, Yi, Xu, Xue-Min, Zhou, Yu & Liu, Quan-Ru, 2020, Onosma fuyunensis (Boraginaceae), a new species from Xinjiang, China, PhytoKeys 144, pp. 11-22 : 11

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.144.33287
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0497B5A6-F75F-5A93-9221-8F830CDD36B0
treatment provided by	PhytoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Onosma fuyunensis Y. He & Q.R. Liu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Onosma fuyunensis Y. He & Q.R. Liu sp. nov. Figs 1C, D View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3B, C, G, I View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4

Onosma gmelinii auct. non Ledeb.: Fl. Reipub. Popul. Sinicae 64(2): 54. 1989. p.p.; Fl. China 16: 352. 1995. p.p.; Clavs Plantarum Xijiangensis. 428. 2000. p.p.; Fl. Xinjiangensis 4: 157. pl. 50. 2004. p.p.

Onosma simplicissima auct. non L.: Fl. China 16: 351. 1995; Fl. Xinjiangensis. 4: 157. 2004.

Type.

China. Xinjiang: Between Fuyun County and Keketuohai Town, Y. He & Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ133, 7 July 2017, 1270 m a.s.l., rocky slopes, 46°59'01"N, 89°41'42"E. (Holotype: BNU 0041549; Isotype: BNU, PE).

Diagnosis.

Closely allied to O. simplicissima L., a widespread species distributed from E Europe to E Siberia. It is differentiated by being perennial herb with rosettes (v.s. mostly subshrub with woody branching base and sterile shoots, Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ), having leaves with spreading bristles (Fig. 2 C-F, v View Figure 2 .s. densely silky appressed pilose), larger nutlets (ca. 5 mm v.s. 2.5-3 mm), longer calyx (15-22 mm v.s. 6-13 mm) and corolla (22-27mm v.s. 18-20 mm). Also nearly to O. gmelinii Ledeb., but different through having obvious reticulate venation (v.s. obscure lateral veins), slightly elongating and straightening inflorescences in fruit (v.s. markedly elongating and straightening), longer and parallel calyx lobes in fruit (1.2-2 mm v.s. ca. 4mm, lobes converging), cream and pale yellow corolla (v.s. pale yellow), included anthers united only at base (v.s. united into a tube, Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ), nutlet with stipitate cicatrix and elongated, rectangular surfaces epidermis cells (v.s. complanate cicatrix and reticulate cells, Fig. 3A, F View Figure 3 ) and isopolar pollen grains (v.s. heteropolar, Fig. 3H View Figure 3 ).

Description.

Herbs perennial, 15-40 cm tall, hispid, strigose. Stems single or several (1-4) arise from rosettes, caspitose, erect, not branched, usually pale straw to light brown, densely covered with long white spreading bristles. Basal leaves short petiolate, linear to linear-oblanceolate, 10-23 cm × 3-10 mm, abaxially densely pubescent and hispid along rised midrib and margin, reticulate venation, adaxially densely appressed hispid and short strigose, base attenuate, apex acute; Cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate, 2-5 cm × 1.5-5 mm. Inflorescences terminal, solitary or dichotomously branched, 4-8 cm wide at anthesis, length to 11 cm in fruit, flowers 5-20; bracts lanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 1.2-2 cm × 1.2-4.5 mm, densely hispid, short strigose. Pedicel short, ca. 5 mm. Calyx 1.5-2.3 cm × 1-2 mm, densely hispid, short strigose, parted nearly to base; lobes linear. Corolla cream above middle, light yellow below middle, clavate, 2.2-2.7 cm, base ca. 2 mm wide, gradually expanded upward; throat ca. 5 mm wide, obscurely pubescent outside, glabrous inside; lobes broadly triangular, ca. 1.5 × 3 mm. Filaments subulate, 9-11 mm, decurrent; anthers united only at base, 7-8 mm, included, apex sterile, ca. 2 mm. Style 2.4-2.8 cm, glabrous. Nectary ca. 1 mm, glabrous. Pollen grains isopolar, tricolporate and prolate, polar axis (P) 21.91 ± 1.19 μm, equatorial axis (E) 13.83 ± 0.17 μm, P/E ratio 1.58. Nutlets gray-brown, ca. 5 mm × 3 mm, lustrous, smooth, ventral keeled, stipitate cicatrix.

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting occurs from May to July.

Etymology.

The specific epithet of the new species refers to its type locality, Fuyun County, Xinjiang, China.

Distribution and habitat.

Onosma fuyunensis is mainly distributed in Fuyun County, Qinghe County and Altay Prefecture (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), it is also known from W Mongolia near the border (Khovd aimag), according to the photo record by Peter Kosachev (http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/128255.html). It prefers dry rocky screes and upland meadows along the hillside, from 500-1400 m a.s.l. Species growing nearby are: Echinops gmelinii Turcz, Goniolimon speciosum (L.) Boiss., Artemisia rutifolia var. altaica (Kryl.) Krasch. and Carex turkestanica Regel.

Conservation status.

According to current data, Onosma fuyunensis grows in a large area of ca. 70, 000 km2 between N Xinjiang and W Mongolia. Similar habitats are common in this area. During our field investigation, four large populations (at least 50 mature individuals) of this species were easily found even at the end of its flowering season. Onosma fuyunensis could be the dominant species in some screes and meadows. In this area, human activities are infrequent, and grazing pressure is low. Historical specimens of this taxon are also abundant (from 16 different locations). According to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019) criteria, we justify a preliminary status of 'Least Concern’ (LC). More accurate quantitative analyses should be used for assessment after more field works in the future.

Additional specimens examined.

China. Xinjiang: Altay Prefecture, Dahe forestry station, 1400 m, 5 July 1985, Anonymous 85-5751 (XJU00016072B); Altay Prefecture, Dahe forestry station, 1200 m, 5 July 1985, Anonymous 85-0225 (XJU00016073B); Altay Prefecture, Dahe forestry station, 1400 m, 12 June 1985, Pi 85018 (XJU00016076B); Altay Prefecture, Dahe forestry station, 900 m, 6 July 1985, Pi 85017 (XJU00016086B); Altay Prefecture, Aweitan Police checkpoint, 815 m, 8 July 2017, Y. He et Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ153 (BNU0041544); Altay Prefecture, Xiaodonggou forest park, 1000 m, 8 July 2017, Y. He et Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ159 (BNU0041543); Altay Prefecture, Xiaoxigou, 1 July 1973, Anonymous Altay197 (XJBI00031718); Fuyun County, roadside to Qinghe County, 1200 m, G.J. Liu et al. Altay901 (XJBI00031717); Altay Prefecture, suburban areas, 900-950 m, 29 May 1987, X.Y. Chen et Q.X. Liu 87061 (NAS00214133); Altay Prefecture, Television tower mountain, 780 m, 30 May 1991, Z.J. Ma # (XJA00058804); Altay Prefecture, Dahe forestry station, 900 m, 10 June 1984, C.Y. Yang 84008 (XJA00058805); Altay Prefecture, suburban areas, 800 m, 6 June 1989, B. Wang 89-0038 (XJA00058808); Fuyun County, Akequtadao Mountain, 1200 m, 8 June 1959, Xinjiang Expedition Team 10417 (XJBI00031710, XJBI00031711, PE01354749); Fuyun County, 73 km roadside to Fuhai County, 850 m, 5 June 1974, Anonymous 00959 (XJBI00031714; XJBI00031715); Fuyun County, 1100 m, 9 July 1977, Anonymous 11247 (XJBI00031713); Fuyun County, Kemuqi, 800 m, 22 August 1965, Anonymous 652179 (XJBI00031712); Fuyun County, hydropower station, 750 m, 9 July 1988, X.Y. Chen et Q.X. Liu 88210 (N138252360, N138252361); Qinghe County, road side from Areletuobie to town, 1170 m, 10 July 2017, Y. He et Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ083 (BNU0041564); Qinghe County, Kuosirele Village, Areletuobie town, 1143m, 6 July 2017, Y. He & Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ089 (BNU0041561); Qinghe County, near the checkpoint, 1140m, 7 July 2017, Y. He et Y. Zhou BNU2017XJ123 (BNU0041554); Qinghe County, Buergen Beaver National Nature Reserve, 11 June 1989, B. Wang 89-153 (XJA00058826); Buerjin County, Gaochao Commune, 500 m, August 1972, C.Y. Yang A720295 (XJA00058802, XJA00058803).