New species and new combinations in Brassaiopsis (Araliaceae) from Vietnam and southwestern China Wen, Jun Lowry Ii, Porter P. Adansonia 2006 3 28 1 181 190 N7R3 Wen & Lowry Ii, 2006 Wen & Lowry Ii 2006 [815,1071,818,844] Magnoliopsida Araliaceae Brassaiopsis Plantae Apiales 4 185 Tracheophyta species ficifolioides sp. nov.   Frutex. Folia chartacea, c. 40 cmlonga, c. 23 cmlata, lobis 3, marginis remote serratis. Panicula terminalis c. 8 cmlonga, sparse stellato-pubescens; umbellate 9-14-florae, pedicellis 15-22 mmlongis. Ovarium biloculare, stylis connatis.   TYPUS. —  Vietnam. Lao Cai Prov., entre Ping Hoet Ta Yang Ping, bord d’un torrent, c.  1200 m,  31.XII.1943, fl., Pételot 8422(holo-,P!). DESCRIPTION Small shrub, apparently hermaphroditic, 0.5-1 mtall, stem grayish white, sparsely covered with conical prickles to c. 4 mmlong, young shoots with dense stellate trichomes and prickle-like appendages.Leaves simple, 3-lobed, the sinuses reaching 3/4 to 4/5 to the base, stipules adnate in lower portion to the petiole, free portions narrowly triangular, 3-5 mmlong, 1.5-2 mmwide at base, leaf blade c. 30 cmlong, c. 23 cmwide, glabrous on both surfaces, thin papyraceous, lobes probably elliptic (material partially damaged), to c. 25 cmlong, 7.5 cmwide, primary veins 5, secondary and tertiary veins conspicuous on both surfaces,base cordate, margin sparsely sharp toothed, the teeth 0.8-1.5 mmlong, apex acuminate; petiole c. 22.5 cmlong, glabrous, unarmed. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, primary axis slender, c. 8 cmlong, 2 mmin diam. at base, sparsely light brown stellate, bearing 2-4 umbels, peduncles 2-2.5 cmlong, sparsely stellate to nearly glabrous, umbels with 9-14 flowers, bracts narrowly triangular, 3-3.5 mmlong, 1.5-2 mmwide, stellate, pedicels inarticulate, sparsely stellate, 15-22 mmlong, bracteoles narrowly triangular, persistent, 1.7-1.8 mmlong, 1-1.2 mmwide. Sepals 5, narrowly triangular, 1.9-2 mmlong, 1.4-1.6 mmwide, petals 5, ovate-triangular, 3-3.5 mmlong, 2-2.2 mmwide, glabrous on both surfaces or very sparsely stellate on abaxial surface, stamens 5, filaments 2.3-2.5 mmlong, anthers oblong, c. 1.5 mmlong, 1 mmwide, ovary 2-locular, styles connate, c. 1 mmlong, stigma obscure, disc hemispherical to subglobose. Fruits unknown.  REMARKS The only known collection of this species was previously identified as  B. ficifolia, from which it differs by its much larger leaves (40 × 23 vs. 10-26 × 6-10 cm) that are thinner (thin papyraceous vs. subcoriaceous) and have conspicuous (vs. inconspicuous) secondary and tertiary veins on both surfaces.  Brassaiopsis ficifolioidesalso resembles  B. trilobaK.M.Feng, but can be distinguished by its much larger leaves (40 × 23 vs. 12-18 × 14-18 cm) whose margin has sparse sharp teeth (vs. ciliate in  B. triloba).  DISTRIBUTION   Lao Cai Provincein northern Vietnam; 1200 m. PHENOLOGY Flowering in late December. 1943-12-31 TYPUS Vietnam 1200 Ping Ho 4 185 1 Lao Cai holotype [113,534,1166,1192] Vietnam Lao Cai Province 6 187 1 Lao Cai