Camellia hainingii S.X.Yang et Y.S. Huang, 2022

Ye, Pin-Ming, Huang, Yu-Song, Huang, Jian-Feng, Liu, En-De, Ma, Jin-Lin & Yang, Shi-Xiong, 2022, Camellia hainingii, a new species of Theaceae in China, Phytotaxa 558 (3), pp. 291-296 : 291-292

Camellia hainingii S.X.Yang et Y.S. Huang , sp. nov., ( Figs. 1 & 2 ).

Type:— CHINA. Guangxi: Daxin County, Encheng National Nature Reserve , on limestone in the evergreen broad-leaved forest, elev. 180 m, 15 September 2020, S . X. Yang , P. M . Ye and F. Y . Wu 6389 (holotype KUN barcode 1541643; isotypes KUN, PE, IBK, IBSC, K) .

Diagnosis: — Camellia hainangii is very similar to C. pachyandra Hu (1938: 131) , but differs by its abaxially glabrous (vs. pubescent along the midvein) leaf, glabrous (vs. pubescent) petiole, perules (bracteoles and sepals) 9–11 (vs. 6) with dense pubescent (vs. glabrous) inside; stamens 80–110 (vs. 40–50), inner filaments thin (vs. thick), ovary glabrous (vs. dense tomentose), capsule surface furfuraceous (vs. smooth) ( Table 1 ; Fig. 2 ).

Arbor, 5–12m tall; young branches reddish brown, glabrous; terminal buds glabrous or subglabrous. Leaves thinly leathery, oblong or narrow elliptic, 7.5–11.0 (–13.0) × 2.5–3.5 (–4.5) cm, apex acuminate to caudate with a tip ca. 1.0 cm long, base cuneate, margin sharply serration, adaxial surface dark green, shining and glabrous, abaxial surface yellow-green, glabrous, scattered dark brown cork-warts (sensu Sealy 1958), lateral veins 7–10 pairs, midvein, lateral veins and reticulate veins sunken adaxially and protruding abaxially, semitransparent; petiole 7–10 mm long, glabrous. Flowers axillary, solitary, subsessile, white or yellowish-white, 2.0–2.5 (–3.0) cm in diam; bracteoles and sepals 9–11, ovate, broad ovate to suborbicular, increasing in size upwards, 1.5–4.0 × 2.0–5.0 mm, abaxially green, glabrous, adaxially densely yellowish-white pubescent, margin narrow scarious and ciliate. Petals 6–8 in 2–3 whorls, outermost 2–3 sepaloid, the rests petaline, glabrous on both sides, suborbicular to elliptic, 6.0–13.0 × 6.0 mm, slightly connate at the base. Stamens numerous (80–110), 8.0–10.0 mm long, glabrous; outer filaments basally connate ca. 1/2–3/5 into a tube and adnate to the corolla for ca. 1.5 mm, inner filaments distinct, slender. Pistil ca. 4.0 mm long; ovary subglobose, 3-loculed, glabrous; style 3, free, very short, 1.5–2.0 mm long, glabrous. Capsule subglobose, grayish brown, ca. 2.0 cm in diam; pericarp <1.0 mm thick when dry, furfuraceous, splitting into 3 valves. Seeds 1 per locule, globose, ca. 1.0– 1.5 cm in diam, dark brown, smooth. Fl. Sep.–Nov., fr. Jul.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Camellia hainingii S.X.Yang et Y.S. Huang. A. Habitat. B. Adaxial leaves. C. Abaxial leaves. D. Semitransparent veins. E. Front view of the flower. F. Back view of the flower. G. Side view of the flower. H. ‘Perules’ (bracteoles and sepals). I. Stamens. J. Pistil. K. Peltals. L. Front view of the fruit. M. Side view of the fruit. N. Seed (left) and dehiscent pericarp (right). Photos by S.X. Yang.

FIGURE 2. Morphological comparison between Camellia hainingii (A–G) and C. pachyandra (H–N). A, H. Abaxial surface of leaves. B, I. Young branches, terminal buds and petioles. C, J. Adaxial surface of ‘Perules’ (bracteoles and sepals). D, K. Stamens. E, L. Inner filaments. F, M. Pistils, showing the indumentum of ovaries. G, N. Capsules, showing furfuraceous (G) and smooth (N) pericarp. Photos by S.X. Yang.