Trichosanthes sunhangii D.G.Zhang, Z.M.Li, Qun Liu & T.Deng, 2021

Liu, Qun, Lin, Nan, Zhang, Dai-Gui, Huang, Xian-Han, Wang, Heng-Chang, Yang, Jing- Yuan, Tojibaev, Komiljon, Lv, Zhen-Yu, Deng, Tao & Li, Zhi-Min, 2021, Trichosanthes sunhangii (Cucurbitaceae), a new species from Hubei, China, Phytotaxa 479 (3), pp. 287-294 : 290-292

Trichosanthes sunhangii D.G.Zhang, Z.M.Li, Qun Liu & T.Deng , sp. nov.

Type: CHINA, Hubei Province, Shennongjia Forestry District , 990 m, 28 July 2011, D. G . Zhang et al. 20110728049 (holotype KUN [barcode 1498246!]; isotypes KUN [barcode 1498247!], JIU!) .

Paratypes: CHINA, Hubei Province, Shennonjia Forestry District , 990 m, 8 Oct 2020, Qun Liu Qun gl001 ( KUN), Qun gl002 ( KUN) .

Lianas. Dioecious. Stems grooved, puberulent. Petiole 2.5–6.5 cm long, striate, puberulent; leaf blade adaxially pale green, glabrous; abaxially deep green, with long hairs at first, sparsely puberulent along veins at maturity, (6–)8–11(– 14) × (5–)7–11(–14) cm, papery, usually 3–5-lobed or unlobed; lobes oblong to triangular, margin denticulate, apex acuminate, veins sparsely puberulent. Tendrils 2 or 3, pubescent. Male raceme solitary, 3–5-flowered, or with solitary flowers in axillary pairs; peduncle 10–20 cm; robust, grooved, slightly hairy; bracts sessile, oblanceolate, 1.2–2.5 × 0.5–1 cm, base attenuate, entire, sparsely puberulent, apex distally 3 parted, segments lanceolate; calyx tube narrowly cylindric, dilated at apex, 2.5–3(–3.5) cm, segments lanceolate, 5–8 × 10– 1.5 mm; corolla white, lobes obovate, 20 mm long, 16 mm wide, filiform tassels on both sides, pilose; anthers close together, about 5 mm long and 3 mm in diameter. Pistillate flowers solitary; pedicel 5–8 cm long, puberulent; calyx tube cylindric, 20–25 × 5–8 mm; ovary oblong, 10–20 × 5–10 mm, puberulent; corolla like male flower; ovary oval, green, 2 cm long, 1 cm diameter, style 2 cm long, stigmas 3, yellow. Fruiting peduncle 4–9 cm long; fruit orange-yellow, globose or oblong, 8–11 × 8–11 cm, sparsely pubescent. Seeds, ovate-oblong, compressed, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1 cm, marginate. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Aug–Oct.

Figure 3. Trichosanthes sunhangii D.G.Zhang, Z.M.Li, Qun Liu & T.Deng. Left : Staminate plant. A, staminate flower dissection; B, habit; C, flower front view; D, bracts; E, bracts of T. kirilowii ; F, bracts of T. rosthornii . Right: Pistillate plant: a, pistillate flower, leaf and tendril; b, fruit; c, seed (drawing by Jianing Yang).

Figure 4. Maximum parsimony tree of Trichosanthes sunhangii and related species. The MP tree is based on the combined matrix of ITS, matK, rpl20-rps12 sequences. Numbers below branches are MP bootstraps and ML bootstraps, numbers above branches indicate Bayesian posterior probability; the new species is shown in bold.

Distribution and habitat: Trichosanthes sunhangii is known only from near Qin Mountain, Yangri County, Xujiazhuang Songluo county and along the Longmen River; roadsides and thickets on limestone foothills at elevations of 900-1000 m.

Vernacular name: öt架栝楼, shén nóng jià guâ lóu in Chinese Pinyin.

Etymology: The species epithet honors Prof. Hang Sun (1963–), a Chinese Botanist who has conducted research on plant taxonomy, floristics, biogeography and evolutionary biology and who has inspired many people through his work.