Salvia penghuana G. X. Hu & C. L. Xiang, 2024

Qiu, Feng-Jin, Yu, Deng-Li, Lan, Hong-Bo, An, Ming-Tai, Geng, Yan-Fei, Xiang, Chun-Lei & Hu, Guo-Xiong, 2024, Salvia penghuana (Lamiaceae), a new species from Guizhou, China, PhytoKeys 246, pp. 179-187 : 179-187

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/phytokeys.246.130332
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13629698
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1CC6C3B5-650D-5D8C-BFDD-265469C287E2
treatment provided by	PhytoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Salvia penghuana G. X. Hu & C. L. Xiang
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Salvia penghuana G. X. Hu & C. L. Xiang sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2

Type.

China • Guizhou Province: Libo County, Yaoshan Town, Pobashao , karst forest margin, elevation 790 m, 1 May 2022, G. X. Hu & Y. F. Geng 758 (holotype: GACP!; isotypes: GACP!, KUN!) .

Diagnosis.

Salvia penghuana is similar to S. filicifolia , but differs in having 6 - flowered verticillasters (vs. 6–10 - flowered verticillasters), ovate-lanceolate bracts (vs. linear-lanceolate), purple corolla (vs. yellow or white), foot-shaped fused lower arms of connective (vs. subulate separated lower arm). It is also similar to S. cavaleriei , but differs by having 3–4 - pinnate leaves (vs. simple to 2 - pinnate), ovate-lanceolate bracts (vs. lanceolate), puberulent calyx (vs. glabrous), longer upper arms of connective (ca. 5 mm vs. ca. 3 mm).

Description.

Perennial herbs. Roots fibrous, 5–15 cm long. Stems erect, 10–60 cm tall, finely minutely pubescent or glabrous, simple, or branched from the base. Leaves mostly basal, cauline leaves absent or 1–2 paired; the most basal leaves 1–2 - pinnate, usually 1 - paired, caducous, petiole 4–10 cm long, terminal leaflets ovate, margin serrate; other basal leaves 3–4 - pinnate, petiole 6–12 cm long, leaf blades ovate, 9–16 × 8–13 cm, lobes numerous, elliptic to linear-lanceolate, margin entire or few lobulate, terminal leaflets lanceolate, ca. 7 × 2 mm, adaxially dark green, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, abaxially greenish or purplish-brown, glabrous or villous along veins. Verticillasters 6 - flowered, in racemes or panicles; rachis puberulent and glandular pilose. Bracts ovate to lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous; bracteoles similar to bracts in shape but smaller. Pedicels 2–3 mm long, puberulent. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 4–6 mm long, bilabiate to one-fourth its length, pale purple, sparsely glandular or puberulent along veins outside, glabrous or apically fine strigose inside; upper lip semicircular-triangular, ca. 2 × 3 mm, margin entire; lower lip ca. 2 × 2.5 mm, shallowly 2 - toothed, teeth triangular, apex acuminate. Corolla purple, 9–13 mm long, densely puberulent or glandular hairs; corolla tube 6–9 mm long, creamy yellow inside calyx tube, ca. 1 mm wide, densely puberulent annulate, gradually dilated after extending out of the calyx tube, purple, ca. 2 mm wide at the throat, sparsely villous; lips subequal, upper lip oblong, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, apex emarginated; lower lip 3 - lobed, middle lobe subrectangular, 3–4 × 2.5–3.6 mm, lateral lobes oval-triangular. Fertile stamens 2, purple, glabrous, filament ca. 1.5 mm long; connective ca. 6.5 mm long, upper arm ca. 5 mm long, the lower arm ca. 1.5 mm long; anterior thecae oblong, ca. 1.5 mm long, fertile, connivent; posterior thecae boot-shaped, sterile, fused. Staminodes 2, 0.7–1.1 mm long. Style exerted slightly, stigmatic lobes unequal, posterior lobe shorter. Nutlets ellipsoid, pale brown, glabrous, ca. 2 mm long.

Distribution and habitat.

The new species is currently only known from Libo and Suiyang counties, Guizhou Province, China, at elevations between 770 and 1220 m (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ). Both populations grow in karst evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest. The common companion species include Handeliodendron bodinieri (H. Lév.) Rehder , Sarcococca ruscifolia Stapf , Selaginella uncinata (Desv.) Spring , Hedera nepalensis var. sinensis (Tobler) Rehder , Aster ageratoides Turcz. , and Ajuga decumbens Thunb.

Phenology.

Flowering from April to June, and fruiting from May to June.

Etymology.

The specific epithet ‘ penghuana’ was selected to honor Prof. Hua Peng, who is a renowned expert on plant taxonomy at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Vernacular name.

Chinese Mandarin: Péng huá shǔ wěi cǎo (彭华鼠尾草)

Conservation status.

Currently, two populations are found in Guizhou, China. The population in Libo is close to Maolan National Nature Reserve, and another population in Suiyang is located in the Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserve. Two populations have no plausible threats, and the area is relatively well-known. Under IUCN criteria, the species was categorized as “ Least Concern ” ( IUCN 2024).

Additional specimens examined

(Paratypes). China • Guizhou: Suiyang County, Kuankuo Town, Honghe village , elevation 1182 m, 4 May 2024. W. Wu & L. Chen sy 01 ( GACP) • Guizhou Province: Libo County, Yaoshan Town, Pobashao , karst forest margin, elevation 790 m, 1 May 2023, G. X. Hu & W. Wu 779 .

Notes.

Based on molecular and morphological evidences, Hu et al. (2018) established the subg. Glutinaria , of which eight sections were recognized. Sect. Sobiso (Raf.) G. X. Hu, A. Takano & B. T. Drew is characterized by fibril roots, small calyx (4–7 mm), small corolla (5–10 mm), and completely reduced posterior thecae. Salvia penghuana has these synapomorphies and therefore should be included in this section. Within sect. Sobiso , two lineages were recognized. The Salvia chinensis group mainly consists of species distributed to China and a total of 17 species were reported ( Hu et al. 2018; Wei et al. 2019). This group is characterized by the stamen movement whereby the upper connective arms bend downward from the upper lips at early anthesis to the middle lobe of the lower corolla lips at the end of flowering ( Hu et al. 2018). This stamen movement is considered to be a diagnostic between the S. chinensis group and S. lutescens group endemic to Japan and Taiwan Island. A similar phenomenon is also observed in this new species, so S. penghuana should be placed in the S. chinensis group.