Salvia subviolacea Y.K.Wei & Pendry, 2021

Wei, Yukun K, Pendry, Colin A, Huang, YanBo, Ge, BinJie & Xiao, HanWen, 2021, SALVIA SUBVIOLACEA, A NEW SPECIES FROM THE HIMALAYAS-HENGDUAN MOUNTAINS, CHINA, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (334), pp. 1-9 : 2-5

Salvia subviolacea Y.K.Wei & Pendry , sp. nov.

Salvia subviolacea is distinguished from S. dolichantha E.Peter by its smaller flower and crenate leaf margin. Salvia subviolacea differs from S. hians Royle ex Benth. in its calyx and corolla; the former has a longer, narrower, uniformly deep violet to black calyx compared with the bicoloured green and deep violet, broadly campanulate calyx of the latter; furthermore, in the former the corolla tube is adnate to the calyx, whereas in the latter it is completely free. Salvia subviolacea differs from S. przewalskii Maxim. in its denser inflorescence and calyx that is much larger in relation to its corolla. It differs from S. wardii E.Peter in its smaller habit and smaller flowers, cordate leaves, and pale blue-purple to light purple corolla, in contrast to the deep blue flowers of S. wardii . – Type: China, Sichuan, Yanyuan , 3336 m, 27 ° 40′21.34′′N, 101 ° 13′08.81′′E, 28 vii 2014, Y. K. Wei, H. Xu & Y.B. Huang S0617 (holotype CSH [ CSH0042695 ]; isotype CSH, E) . Figures 1 , 2A,B .

Perennial taprooted herb, 25–60 cm. Stem unbranched. Leaves almost all basal, occasionally with a pair of cauline leaves, all simple, papery, cordate to narrowly cordate, 7–20 × 5–15 cm, apex attenuate, acute or obtuse, base cordate, occasionally hastate, margin crenate. Petiole usually purplish, 5–15 cm. Inflorescence 20–35 cm, a relatively lax, pubescent raceme of 2- to 6-flowered verticillasters, simple or with up to 3 short branches at the base. Calyx uniformly violet or deep violet to black, tubular-campanulate, 12–21 mm, bilabiate to half its length, upper lip rounded, without an annulus, calyx and base of corolla tube adnate. Corolla pale blue-purple to light purple, tube curving slightly upwards at base, straight, with a lanate annulus at one-third above the base, upper and lower lips concolorous or white with concolorous spots, 26–40 mm. Stamens included in the corolla, filaments 5.1–8.1 mm, connective 4.5–6.5 mm, upper arm twice as long as lower arm, upper and lower thecae fertile, lower thecae coherent. Pistil 33–43 mm, stigma included within the upper lip. Nutlets subglobose, yellow-brown, c.2.8 × 2.3 mm. Indumentum of leaves puberulent or pubescent; petioles, stem, inflorescence and corolla pubescent, glandular pubescent only on the outside of the calyx.

Altitudinal range. 3000–4000 m.

Ecology. Forest margins and understorey, roadsides. It is apparently well adapted to various habitats. Flower colour is apparently influenced by environment, with a deeper colour in drier, sunnier locations.

Phenology. Flowering June to July, fruiting July to August.

Distribution. Salvia subviolacea is endemic to China and is currently known only from the type locality at Yanyuan, Sichuan Province, and Linzhi, Xizang Province.

Conservation status. Salvia subviolacea has been observed at only two sites, which are about 360 km apart, among 403 localities surveyed for Salvia across Sichuan (83), Xizang (49) and Yunnan (271). Whereas the Sichuan population appears for now to be relatively steady, with between 250 and 2500 mature individuals, the Xizang population is under extreme threat. In 2019 this location was revisited but no living plants were found. The conservation assessment is therefore EN B2 ac(iii) or C2 b ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2017).

Etymology. The epithet refers to the pale violet colour of the corolla.

Vernacular name. 川 藏 = 尾 草 (‘Chuanzang sage’).

Additional specimens examined. Sichuan: Yanyuan, Pass of Mianbu , 3240 m, 30 vii 2011, E. D. Liu, C. L. Xiang, W. Fang, W. Z. Ma, G. X. Hu, Z. H. Wang & X. Nong 2994 ( PE, KUN [two duplicates]). Xizang: Linzhi, 3937 m, 29 ° 34′11.75′′N, 94 ° 34′31.82′′E, 16 vii 2011, Y. K. Wei, B. J. Ge, L. J. Cui & G . Xu S0239 ( CSH [five duplicates]) ; Linzhi, Demula, 3900 m, 12 vii 2012, C. Wang LZ067 ( BNU [one duplicate]) .

Similarities and differences between these species are summarised in the Table, and their comparative morphology is shown in Figure 2 .

Living material was collected but the plants have not survived at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. We will attempt to set up ex situ collections at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Yunnan.

Figures

Figure 1. Salvia subviolacea sp. nov. A, Habit; B, flower (side view); C, flower (longitudinal section); D, corolla with stamens reflexed; E, ovary and style; F, dissected calyx (outer view). Scale bars: A, 3 cm; B–F, 1 cm. Drawn by Claire Banks from Y. K. Wei, H. Xu & Y. B. Huang S0617 (E).

Figure 2. Salvia subviolacea and morphologically similar species: A and B, S. subviolacea; C, S. wardii; D, S. dolichantha; E, S. przewalskii; and F, S. hians.