Heteropolyonatum parcefolium (F.T.Wang & Tang) Floden, 2014

Floden, Aaron J., 2014, New names in Heteropolygonatum (Asparagaceae), Phytotaxa 188 (4), pp. 218-226 : 223-224

Heteropolyonatum parcefolium (F.T.Wang & Tang) Floden , comb. nov.

Basionym: Polygonatum parcefolium Wang & Tang (1949: 216) . Type:— CHINA. Su-tchuen[Sichuan]: oriental: district de Tchen-kéoutin [Chengkou], 1800 m, 15 Juin 1893, Farges 1184 (holotype image PE00223239 !; isotypes K!, KUN!, P!, PE!) .

Distribution:— China, Chongqing, Sichuan, 1300–1800 m.

Taxonomic relationships:— Wang & Tang (1949) based this species on Farges collections from eastern Sichuan. Farges seems to have made two collections of this species; one large gathering in flower in June of 1893 and a smaller gathering (only one specimen seen) at P in fruit. Since Heteropolygonatum fruit in the fall and are deciduous it is highly unlikely that both collections were gathered on the same date. Another collection has Farges handwritten label on it with collection number 1184 and other details of the plant (P00687126!). The specimen that is in fruit, and some of those that are in flower, are annotated by Wang and Tang with the collection number written in the same hand, not the handwriting of Farges. This fruiting specimen is considered to be a paratype, since it was viewed by Wang and Tang, but is not part of the type gathering. Like Heteropolygonatum parcefolium , occasional specimens of H. anomalum and H. ogisui have the lowermost leaf pair borne oppositely on the stem, but unlike the latter two species this species differs in its puberulent stem and in its long pedunculate inflorescences with 2 or more flowers. Despite the limited knowledge of H. parcefolium its morphological dissimilarities and disjunction from H. anomalum and H. ogisui support its recognition as a distinct species.

Other specimens examined:— CHINA. Sichuan: Nanjiang, Hengdian, anon. 2833 (CBDI01659010!); ibidem, anon. s.n. ( PE00036899 !); Su-tchuen , oriental: district de Tchen-kéou-tin [Chengkou], 1800 m, 15 June 1893, Farges 1184 (P00038366!) .