Oreocharis eriocarpa W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui, 2019

Chen, Wen-Hong, Zhang, Ya-Mei, He, De-Ming, Li, Yong-Liang & Shui, Yu-Min, 2019, Four new species of Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae) in Yunnan province, China, PhytoKeys 157, pp. 83-99 : 83

Oreocharis eriocarpa W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui sp. nov. Fig. 4

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Oreocharis concava (Craib) Mich. Möller & A.Weber, but different in broadly ovate bracts (vs. narrowly oblong to obovate), corolla strigose outside (vs. pubescent), calyx 5-sect up to 1/3 from base (vs. above middle) and ovary and fruit pubescent (vs. glabrous).

Type.

CHINA. Yunnan Province: Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Wenshan county, Laohuilong community, Laowuji village, 103°51'13.17"E, 23°20'29.35"N, alt. 2168 m, on rocks in the forests, 30 July 2013, Shui Y.M., He D.M. et al. B2013-304 (holotype, KUN; isotype, PE).

Description.

Herb perennial and stemless, rhizomatous. Leaves basal; petiole 4-8 cm, densely brown villous; leaf blade ovate, thickly chartaceous, 4.0-5.2 × 3.0-3.5 cm, adaxially setulose and rugose, abaxially glabrous amongst veins, sparsely brown villous along veins, base cordate, apex acute, margin biserrate, lateral veins 5-6 on each side of midrib, indistinct adaxially and distinct abaxially. Inflorescences axillary; peduncle 9-13 cm, densely brown villous; bracts 2, leaf-like, broadly ovate, 7-10 × ca. 5 mm, adaxially glabrous and abaxially villous, margin serrate. Pedicel 1-2.5 cm, villous. Calyx ca. 6 mm, 5-sect from 1/3; segments equal, triangular, ca. 4 × 1.5-2 mm, margin entire below top, top crenate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially pubescent. Corolla yellow, 1.6-2.9 cm, outside strigose and inside glabrous; tube campanulate-cylindric, gradually slightly widening from middle of tube, 1.3-2 cm, 0.3-0.4 cm in diam., throat not constricted; limb 2-lipped; adaxial lip smaller, 3-5 mm, emarginate; abaxial lip larger, 3-lobed, lobes oblong, apex rounded, central lobe ovate, ca. 7 × 5 mm, lateral lobes rotund, ca. 5 × 5 mm. Stamens 4, coherent in 2 pairs, included, adaxial stamens 3-6 mm, adnate to corolla tube 7-13 mm from base, abaxial stamens 3-4 mm, adnate to corolla tube 13-16 mm from base; filaments tender, glabrous; anthers basifixed, oblong, 2-loculed, dehiscing longitudinally; staminode ca. 0.5 mm, adnate to corolla tube ca. 8 mm. Disc ring-like, 1-2 mm, 5-lobed shallowly. Pistil 0.9-1.8 cm, pubescent; ovary oblong, pubescent, 0.5-1.2 cm, 1-loculed; style glabrous, 0.4-0.6 cm; stigma 1, 2-lobed. Capsule straight, narrowly oblong, 3.4-4 cm × 0.8-0.9 cm, existing style ca. 0.7 cm. Seeds not seen.

Distribution, habitat and phenology.

The new species is endemic to SE Yunnan of China, on rocks or limestone cliffs. Flowering is July-September; and fruiting is October-January the following year.

Conservation status.

So far, there are two populations of the new species observed in the field (Fig. 1 ). One is in the type locality at the core position of the nature reserve with ca. 500 mature individuals and ca. 10, 000 m2 (100 m × 100 m) area, the other is the Pingbian county with ca. 120 mature individuals and ca. 1, 200 m2 (20 m × 60 m) area. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species is hereby assessed as "Vulnerable (VU)" (D1+D2). ( IUCN 2012).

Additional specimens examined (paratype).

CHINA, Yunnan Province: Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Pingbian county, Heping community, Baige village, 103°52'36.71"E, 23°17'24.68"N, 26 August 2015, Shui Y.M. et al. B2015-315A (KUN). Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture: Wenshan county, Laohuilong community, Laowuji village, Matangqing, 103°51'14.33"E, 23°20'29.96"N, in fruits, 20 October, 2012, De-Min He and Ting Zhang WSLJS558 (KUN); the same locality, 103°51'13.17"E, 23°20'29.35"N, on rocks in the forests, alt. 2168 m, in flower, 16 August 2018, Ting Zhang, De-Min He and Yan-Fei Feng 18CS17589 (KUN).

Etymology.

The species is named after the pubescent fruits (Fig. 2F ).

Note.

The new species is endemic to the border regions of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in SE Yunnan (Fig. 1 ), at ca. 2100 m elevation. It is unique in its pubescent ovary and fruits (Fig. 2A-F ). Its similar species ( Oreocharis concava ) is distributed in Northwest Yunnan at 2,800-3,600 m elevation, viz. Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Lijiang District and Deqin Zang Autonomous Prefecture (Fig. 1 ). Table 1 shows the other differences between the above two species. Thus, there is an obvious geographical substitution between the above two species. Besides, after the examination of type specimens in PE and consulting the literature ( Pan 1987, Li and Wang 2005, Möller et al. 2011), the new species seems similar to its another variety [ Oreocharis concava var. angustifolia (K.Y.Pan) Mich. Möller & A.Weber] in the pubescent ovary, but obviously different from it in its ovate blade (vs. elliptic). It is possible that the latter variety might be a different species from the original variety and needs to be explored in the future.

Figures

Figure 1. The localities of the four new species and the other species of Oreocharis s. l. from SW Yunnan and SE Yunnan in SW China. The districts are shown in Yunnan province, SW China.

Figure 2. Oreocharis eriocarpa W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. (A-F) A habit B leaf adaxial surface C leaf abaxial surface D bracts E ovary and disc F dense pubescent ovary and disc; O. wenshanensis (G-K) G habitat H plant I leaf adaxial surface J leaf abaxial surface K flower. Photography by He De-Ming (A-E, K), Zhang Ting (E), Chen Li (F), Shui Yu-Min (G, I, J).

Figure 4. Oreocharis eriocarpa W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. A plant B lateral view of flower C frontal view of flower D opened corolla showing stamens, anthers, disc and staminode E pistil showing ovary, disc and stigma. (Drawn by Ling Wang from holotype).