Epimedium borealiguizhouense S.Z.He & Y.K.Yang, 1993

Zhang, Yanjun, Dang, Haishan, Li, Shengyu, Li, Jianqiang & Wang, Ying, 2015, Five new synonyms in Epimedium (Berberidaceae) from China, PhytoKeys 49, pp. 1-12 : 9-10

Epimedium borealiguizhouense S.Z.He & Y.K.Yang

Epimedium borealiguizhouense S.Z. He & Y.K. Yang, J. Pl. Resourc. Environ. 2(4): 51. 1993, as “baieali-guizhouense”. Type:-China. Guizhou: Yanhe, nearby brooklet in valley, alt. 300-500 m, 11 Apr. 1993, S.Z. He 93001 (holotype, GZTM!).

Epimedium sagittatum Maxim. var. oblongifoliolatum Z. Cheng, Flora Hubeiensis, 1: 406. 2001. Syn. nov. Type:-China. Hubei: Enshi, alt. 400 m, 24 Apr. 1974, X.S. Zou 74004 (holotype, HIB!).

Description.

Herbs 40-80 cm tall. Rhizome compact. Leaves basal and cauline, trifoliolate; leaflets lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 13-18 × 2.5-4 cm, apex long acuminate, margin spinous-serrate, base shallowly cordate, terminal leaflet with subequal rounded lobes, lateral leaflets much oblique, inner lobes small, rounded or almost truncate, outer lobes larger, triangle, acuminate or acute, leathery, adaxially glabrous, abaxially densely strigose, densely pubescent, lanose, or glabrous. Flowering stem with 2 opposite or rarely 3 alternate leaves. Inflorescence paniculate, 30-40 cm long, many (up to 200) flowered, glabrous. Flowers small, 6-10 mm in diam. Outer sepals purplish, small, soon falling. Inner sepals white, ovate, 3-4 × 1.5-2.2 mm, apex acute. Petals yellow, calceiform, 2.2-3.2 mm. Stamens ca. 4 mm; anthers ca. 2.5 mm; filaments ca. 1.5 mm. Capsules ca. 1 cm.

Distribution and habitat.

Epimedium borealiguizhouense is distributed in south central Chongqing, northeast Guizhou, western Hubei, and western Hunan. It usually occurs in forests, thickets, weedy slopes, and streamsides in valleys, at elevations of 300 to 800 m.

Phenology.

Epimedium borealiguizhouense flowers from March to April, and fruits from April to May.

IUCN Red List category.

Epimedium borealiguizhouense should be designated as nearly threatened (NT) according to IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN 2013), because of exploitation for medicinal use.

Notes.

Epimedium borealiguizhouense is a member of series Brachycerae Stearn. Within this series, it is particularly similar to Epimedium myrianthum Stearn, but both are obviously different in the shape of the leaflets: Epimedium borealiguizhouense bears lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate leaflets with the base of terminal leaflet shallowly cordate, the lateral leaflet is much more oblique with the inner lobe much smaller and rounded or almost truncate and the outer lobe triangular and acuminate or acute, while Epimedium myrianthum usually has narrowly ovate leaflets with the base moderately cordate with a narrow sinus and the lateral leaflet is oblique with the lobes rounded or acute.

Epimedium borealiguizhouense was previously known only from the type locality, Yanhe, Guizhou. According to herbarium and field investigations, new localities of the species are recorded for Chongqing, Hubei, and Hunan. Furthermore, the indumentum on the abaxial surface of the leaflets varies from densely strigose to densely pubescent, lanose to glabrous. In addition, Epimedium sagittatum var. oblongifoliolatum published in Flora Hubeiensis ( Fu 2001) is the same species as Epimedium borealiguizhouense and is synonymized here.

Specimens examined.

China. Chongqing: Changshou, B.L. Guo 522 (IMD), Y.J. Zhang 400 (HIB), 420 (HIB); Dianjiang, Dianjiang Med. Pl. Exped. 82 (SM), Y.J. Zhang 421 (HIB); Fengdu, J.A. Wang & Y.X. Wang 49 (CDBI); Hechuan, Hechuan Med. Pl. Exped. 731 (SM); Pengshui, Anon. 214 (SM), F.T. Pu & Y.L. Cao 255 (CDBI), Y.J. Zhang 419 (HIB). Guizhou: Yanhe, B.L. Guo A80 (IMD), S.Z. He 93007 (GZTM), 93010 (IMD), Y.J. Zhang 231 (HIB), 301 (HIB), 325 (HIB). Hubei: Enshi, B.L. Guo & X.Z. Luo 89011 (IMD), 89014 (IMD), Y.J. Zhang 20 (HIB), 62 (HIB), 399 (HIB), 415 (HIB); Laifeng, Y.J. Zhang 417 (HIB); Xianfeng, X.S. Zou 74011 (HIB). Hunan: Baojing, Y.J. Zhang 411 (HIB).