Camellia piloflora S.X. Yang, 2022

Zhang, Qiong, Wu, Fang-Yuan, Huang, Yao-Heng, Ma, Jin-Lin & Yang, Shi-Xiong, 2022, Camellia piloflora (Theaceae), a new yellow camellia from Guangxi, South China, Phytotaxa 574 (2), pp. 179-184 : 179-180

Camellia piloflora S.X. Yang , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 ).

Type:— CHINA. Guangxi: Debao County, in limestone tiankeng, elev. 400 m, 21 January 2022, S.X. Yang 6868 (holotype KUN1541642 ; isotypes KUN1544968 , K) .

Diagnosis:— Camellia piloflora is most similar to C. debaoensis R.C. Hu & Y.Q. Liufu , but differs by its sepals puberulent abaxially (vs. glabrous), ovary and styles tomentose (vs. glabrous), filaments pubescent (vs. glabrous) and the outer filaments united for 1/2 (vs. 1/4) of their length from the base.

Shrubs, 2−5 m tall; young branches yellowish brown or brown, glabrous, rarely subglabrous; terminal buds glabrous, rarely subglabrous. Leaves alternate; petiole 0.6–1.2 cm long, glabrous, rarely subglabrous; blade elliptic to oblong, 7–11 × 3.5–5.5 cm, thinly leathery, purplish red when young, adaxially dark green and glabrous, shiny, abaxially pale green, sparsely pubescent along midvein and scattered dark brown cork-warts, lateral veins 7−9 pairs, apex acuminate to caudate, margin shallowly serrate with the teeth 1.0−2.0 mm apart, base cuneate to broadly cuneate. Flowers subterminal or axillary, solitary or rarely 2−4 in clusters, 5.5–6.0 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 2.0–5.0 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles 4–5, yellowish-green, unequal, 1.0–3.0 × 2.0–4.0 mm, obtuse triangle, lunate to semiorbicular, lowermost bracteoles glabrous on both sides, uppermost ones pubescent on both sides, similar to sepals, margin ciliolate. Sepals 5 (–6), yellowish-green, semiorbicular, round-reniform to suborbicular, 6.0−10.0 × 8.0−14.0 mm, pubescent on both surfaces, margin narrow scarious and ciliate. Petals 8–10, in three whorls, pale yellow, orbicular to elliptic, 2.2−4.5 × 2.2−3.5 cm, pubescent on both surfaces, basally connate to each other and to the stamens for 7–10 mm. Stamens numerous, ca. 3.5 cm long, in 4−5 whorls, filament of the outer whorls basally connate into a tube for ca. 1/2 of the length, outside of the tube and base of the free part of filaments pubescent, filaments of the innermost whorl free, pubescent almost all their length. Ovary ovoid, ca. 6 mm in diam, densely pale yellow tomentose, 3 (–4)-loculed; styles single, 2.6 cm long, apically dividing into 3 (–4) arms of ca. 3–4 mm, basally 3/4 pubescent. Capsule oblate, yellowish green, ca. 6.0 cm in diam, pubescent, with 2 seeds per locule; pericarp ca. 1.0–2.0 mm thick when dry, splitting into 3 valves. Seeds dark brown, hemispherical or cuneate, pubescent.

Phenology: —Flowering from January to February; fruiting from September to October.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from Latin, “ pilus ”, meaning a hair, and “ flos ”, meaning flower, to referring that the new species has hairy flowers, especially on sepals, petals, stamens and pistils.

Vernacular name: —‘ ƚṯfiṯș ’ (mao hua jin hua cha) in Chinese pinyin.

Distribution, habitat, and conservation status: — Camellia piloflora grows in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of limestone hills at elevation of 400– 650 m. Only three populations with less than 100 individuals have been found in and near its type locality. Due to the great commercial value, the number of this species may continue to shrink. The location of this species is not the natural reserve, thus can be destroyed by human activity. The area of occupancy is less than 10 km 2 (B2a) with three populations, and the area, extent and/or quality of habitat, and number of mature individuals are declined in future. Therefore, the new species is accessed to Critically Endangered (CR, B2ab (iii, v)), according to Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2019).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — CHINA. Guangxi: Debao County, 30 November 2018, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 400 m, S .X. Yang & F.Y. Wu 5895–5901 ( KUN); 6 March 2019, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 400 m, S .X. Yang & F.Y. Wu 5979–5982 ( KUN); 8 March 2019, limestone hills, elev. ca. 650 m, S .X. Yang & F.Y. Wu 5983–5985 ( KUN); 8 March 2019, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 550 m, S .X. Yang & F.Y. Wu 5986 ( KUN); 15 September 2020, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 400 m, S .X. Yang , F.Y. Wu & P. M . Ye 6395-6397 ( KUN); 16 September 2020, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 550 m, S .X. Yang , F.Y. Wu & P. M . Ye 6406–6409 ( KUN); 21 January 2022, limestone tiankeng, elev. ca. 400 m, S .X. Yang & F.Y. Wu 6869–6871, 6880 ( KUN) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Camellia piloflora S.X. Yang. A. Habitat. B. Adaxial leaves. C. Abaxial leaves. D. Midvein of abaxial leaf. E. Terminal Buds. F. Bracteoles. G. Sepals. H. Front view of the flower. I. Side view of the flower. J. Back view of the flower. K. Pubescent petal. L. Inner of sepal. M. Stamens and Gynoecium. N. Front view of the fruit. O. Side view of the fruit. P. Dry fruit. Q. Fresh fruit.

FIGURE 2. Morphological comparison between Camellia piloflora (A–D) and C. debaoensis (E–H). A, E. Indumentum of Ovary; B, F. Indumentum of inner filaments; C, G. Indumentum of outer filaments; D, H. Abaxial sepal.