Aconitum wumengense J. He & E. D. Liu, 2018

Wang, Jia-Yan, He, Jun, Xu, Zhou-Feng, Meng, Jing, Liu, En-De & Wang, Hong, 2018, Aconitum wumengense (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 343 (1), pp. 60-66 : 60-65

Aconitum wumengense J. He & E. D. Liu , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Luquan county, Jiaozi Shan , 26°04’ 53” N, 102°50’ 54”E, 3920 m a.s.l., 8 August 2009, E. D. Liu, W. Fang & X. Nong 2213 (holotype KUN; isotypes E, IBSC, K, KUN, PE) .

Herbs perennial. Tubers 2, carrot-shaped. Stem 25–60 cm tall, simple or few-branched, proximally sparsely appressed pubescent, distally densely appressed pubescent. Basal leaves withered at anthesis; proximal and middle cauline leaves long petiolate, petiole 5–15 cm long, subglabrous, blade thinly coriaceous, pentagonal, 5.0–7.3 × 5.2–6.9 cm, abaxially sparsely appressed pubescent on veins, adaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, deeply 3-divided to 2–5 mm from base, central lobe rhombic, 2–3 times dissected, ultimate lobes oblong or oblong-triangular, apex acuminate, margin entire, lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Inflorescence paniculate, ca. 10 cm long, 1–4 (6)-flowered, rachis densely appressed pubescent; bracts leaflike; pedicels densely appressed pubescent, 4.5–8.2 cm long, with 2 linear or subulate bracteoles nearly at middle. Flowers blue; upper sepal navicular, 2.2–2.5 cm high, lower margin slightly obliquely upward, 1.9–2.5 cm long, densely appressed pubescent outside, sparsely sericeous inside; lateral sepals obliquely broadly obovate, 2.0– 2.5 cm long, 1.3–1.9 cm broad, densely appressed pubescent outside, sparsely sericeous inside; lower sepals slightly unequal in size, narrowly obovate, 1.5–2.0 cm long, 0.5–0.9 cm broad, densely appressed pubescent outside, sparsely sericeous inside; petals glabrous, claws ca. 2 cm long, limb ca. 7 mm long, lip ca. 3.9 mm long, 2-lobed at apex, spur short, nearly capitate, ca. 2.1 mm long; stamens glabrous, filaments 2- denticulate, 1.0– 1.3 cm long. Carpels 5, 5–8 mm long, ovaries densely appressed pubescent, stigmas persistent, deeply purple. Follicles erect, 1–1.5cm long.

Distribution and habitat: — Aconitum wumengense is currently known only from its type locality, i.e. Jiaozi Shan, Wumeng town, Luquan county, Yunnan, China. It grows in rocky places on mountain slopes at an elevation of ca. 3900 m.

Phenology: —Flowering from July to September; fruiting in October.

Etymology: —The specific epithet ‘ wumengense ’ refers to Wumeng town in Luquan county, Yunnan, China, the type locality of Aconitum wumengense .

Conservation status: — Aconitum wumengense is currently known only from its type locality. The population we found covers an area of 0.007 km 2, including approximately 40 individuals. According to the IUCN red list categories and criteria, version 3.1 ( IUCN 2012), this species should be categorized as a critically endangered species (CR).

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Yunnan: Luquan county, Jiaozi Shan, rocky crevices, 3920 m a.s.l., 23 October 2015, E. D. Liu et al. 4603,4604, 4605, 4606,4607,4608 (all in KUN!).

Notes: —In the Chinese Aconitum , A. wumengense is morphologically most closely similar to A. geniculatum , but they differ in an array of characters. A detailed morphological comparison between the two species is given in Table 1. Aconitum wumengense is distinct from A. geniculatum , among other characters, in the densely appressed pubescent (vs. glabrous) inflorescence rachis, pedicels and ovaries. Under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) the hairs on the inflorescence rachis, pedicels and ovaries of A. wumengense are all rough-surfaced ( Fig. 4 C–F ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype sheet of Aconitum wumengense.

FIGURE 2. Line illustration of Aconitum wumengense. A. Habit. B. Upper sepal (front view). C. Lateral sepals (inner surface). D. Lower sepals (inner surface). E. Petal. F. Stamen. G. Carpels. Drawn by Ling Wang from the holotype E. D. Liu, W. Fang & X. Nong 2213.

FIGURE 3. Aconitum wumengense in the wild (Jiaozi Shan, Luquan, Yunnan, China). A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Flowers (front view). D. Flowers (side view). E. flower dissected. F. Portion of infructescence (arrow indicates the appressed hairs on pedicels).

FIGURE 4. Scanning electron micrographs of pubescence on pedicels (A, C, E) and ovaries (B, D, F) of Aconitum wumengense. (KUN).