Phanera esquirolii (Gagnepain 1912: 171) Sinou & Bruneau

Peng, Xia, Yang, Qi-Yi, Jiang, Kai-Wen, Yang, Hong, Wang, Xiang-Ping, Li, Shi-Jin, Shi, Miao-Miao & Tu, Tie-Yao, 2024, The reappraisal and lectotypification of Phanera esquirolii with proposing P. comosa as a new synonym (Fabaceae: Cercidoideae), Phytotaxa 662 (3), pp. 287-292 : 288-290

Phanera esquirolii (Gagnepain 1912: 171) Sinou & Bruneau in Sinou et al. (2020: 80). ≡ Bauhinia esquirolii Gagnep.

(1912: 171). ≡ Lasiobema esquirolii (Gagnep.) de Wit (1956: 423)

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Kaiyuan [Kouai-yien] County, 26 Nov. 1906, J. Esquirol 1117 [lectotype P (barcode P 02088529!), designated here]. CHINA. Yunnan: Qiaojia [Kiao-kia] County, 23 May. 1908, M. F. Ducloux 5589 [remaining syntypes P (barcodes P 06834423!, P 06834421!)].

= Bauhinia comosa Craib (1913a: 352) . syn. nov. ≡ Lasiobema comosum (Craib) A. Schmitz (1977: 14) . syn. nov. = Phanera comosa (Craib) Bandyop. & Ghoshal (2015: 141) . syn. nov. ≡ Bauhinia henryi Harms (1921: 134) . nom. illeg. superfl. et nom. illeg. hom. non Craib (1913b: 353).

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Kaiyuan [Lin'an], 4500', 1901, A. Henryi 13358 [holotype K (barcode K000760720 !); isotypes MO (herb. no. 150820!), NY (barcode NY00003510 !)] .

= Bauhinia saxatilis Craib (1913c: 353) .

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: plain to N of Mengzi [Mengtze], 4500' alt., A. Henryi 10193 [holotype K (barcode K000760721 !); isotypes E (barcode E00313579 !), NY (barcode NY00003511 !)] .

= Bauhinia mairei Harms (1921: 134) .

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Tal von Ma-hong, 2600 m, August 1910, E. E. Maire 2819 [holotype n.v., isotype NY (barcode NY 00003517!).

Description: —Lianas, woody. Branches cylindric, pubescent with white to brownish hairs; tendrils solitary or in pairs, hairy. Stipules caducous, narrowly lunate, ca. 5 × 2 mm, striate, very sparsely pubescent with brown hairs. Leaves unifoliolate; leaflet blade broadly ovate or orbicular, papery, deeply bilobed at apex to 1/2–2/3, base cordate, 4–7 × 4–6.5 cm; lobes obtuse at apex, adaxially puberulent when young, glabrescent, abaxially yellowish-white pubescent with denser hairs along veins; primary veins 7–9. Petioles 1.5–2 cm, pubescent with brown hairs, stout. Inflorescence an elongated raceme, many flowered, axis 5–30 cm; peduncles 2.5–10 cm, hairy; bracts and bracteoles linear, 7–9 mm, brush-like in young inflorescences. Pedicel ca. 15 mm in opened flowers, sessile in flower buds. Flower buds with a turbinate hypanthium, conical or ovoid, acute, apex open with 5 teeth. Hypanthium tapering to pedicel; calyx lobes 5, lanceolate, 5–6 mm, outside pubescent, tapering to apex, joined from middle, reflex during flowering. Petals yellow or yellowish white, subequal, oblanceolate, ca. 7 mm, outside hairy, cucullate, clawed, apex acute. Fertile stamens 3; filaments 6–7 mm, glabrous; anthers oblong. Staminodes 7, much reduced to less than 1 mm. Floral disk fleshy, swollen, U-shaped, yellow, turning red after fertilization. Ovary stalked, oblique, glabrous; style nearly as long as ovary stalk, stout; stigma small, truncate. Legumes linear-oblong, 5–8 × 1.5–1.7 cm; valves woody, light brownish when dried. Seeds 2–5, suborbicular, compressed, ca. 9 mm in diam.

Phenology: —Flowering September–November; fruiting November–December.

Taxonomic remarks: — Phanera delavayi ( Fig. 1J ) is characterized by oblate flower buds that open before anthesis, with sepals that remain erect during flowering. In contrast, both P. esquirolii and P. comosa ( Fig. 1B, C, K, L ) have flower buds that remain closed until anthesis, with sepals that become reflexed during flowering. Our examination of M. F. Ducloux 4516 ( Fig. 1A, D, E ) reveals morphological traits consistent with P. delavayi , indicating its misidentification in the protologue. Furthermore, we noted a continuous variation in flower bud shape among specimens of P. esquirolii and P. comosa ( Fig. 1M–R ), ranging from turbinate to ovoid. Additionally, flower bud shape may vary with maturity stage ( Fig. 1S ). Given these observations and the lack of other reliable distinguishing characteristics, we propose to synonymize P. comosa under P. esquirolii .

Distribution and habitat: — Phanera esquirolii inhabits open forests and thickets in the arid hot valleys of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, China.

Specimens examined: — CHINA. Yunnan: Honghe, roadside, on the trees, elev. 530 m, 16 July 2020, E. D. Liu et al. LED9766 (KUN). ibid., slope, elev. 450 m, 7 October, 1991, G. D. Tao 47413 (HITBC). ibid., slope, elev. 450 m, 7 October, 1991, G. D. Tao 47414 (HITBC). ibid., slope, roadside, elev. 950 m, 8 October 1991, G. D. Tao 47434 (HITBC). ibid., limestone meadow, elev. 1380 m, 5 September 1961, CAS Kunming Working Station 61-3844 (KUN). Jiangcheng, Tuka River, jungle, moist, elev. 300–900 m, December 1982, G. D. Tao 8291 (HITBC). ibid., jungle, moist place, elev. 900 m, December 1985, G. D. Tao 8316 (HITBC). Luquan, slope, dryness, elev. 1100 m, 11 December 1952, P. Y. Mao 2008 (IBSC, KUN). Mengla, elev. 570 m, 25 September 2006, H. Wang 8525 (HITBC). ibid., elev. 650 m, 20 August 2009, H. Wang 8914 (HITBC). Qiaojia, in the mixed forest, elev. 1261 m, 16 June 2009, J. Cai, Y. J. Guo & J. D. Ya 09CS1101 (KUN). ibid., on rocky hill, 11 September 1932, H. T. Cai 51996 (IBK, IBSC, KUN, LBG, PE). Yuanjiang, roadside, sunny, dry place, elev. 400–500 m, 18 November 1956, H. T. Tsai 80065 (IBK, PE). ibid., slope, dryness, elev. 1850 m, 29 November 1964, J. H. Li 6037 (IBSC). ibid., hillside, thickets, elev. 1000 m, 14 June 1972, Y. H. Li 8447 (HITBC). ibid., dry-hot valley, elev. 950 m, 15 September 2011, J. W. Li 1025 (HITBC). ibid., September 1981, Yuxi Drug Testing Institute s.n. (IBSC). ibid., slope, sunny, elev. 700 m, 7 November 1958, S. G. Wu 725 (KUN, PE). ibid., limestone, sunny, elev. 700 m, 5 May 1984, G. D. Tao 37829 (HITBC, KUN). ibid., slope, sparse forests, thickets, dryness, elev. 1850, Y. H. Li 6037 (HITBC). ibid., barren, dry place, 14 January 1974, G. D. Tao 7173 (HITBC). ibid., forest edge, elev. 1200 m, 15 August 2012, Yuanjiang Exped. 5304281064 (IMDY). Yuanmou, elev. 1600 m, 7 August 1965, Woody oilseeds Exped. 15-0714 (KUN). Specimens without detailed information: E. E. Maire s.n. (IBSC). 26 December 1913, E. E. Maire 1226 (IBSC). Kunming Working Station 2008 (PE). Sichuan: Jinyang, field, elev. 710 m, 27 May 1959, Sichuan Economic Plants (Liangshan) Exped. 3237 (KUN, PE). ibid., roadside, elev. 550 m, 11 September 1976, Sichuan Exped. 14920 (CDBI). ibid., slope, roadside, thickets, elev. 1100 m, 19 August 1964, T. P. Zhu et al. 294 (CDBI). ibid., on the edge of the Jinsha river valley, elev. 700 m, 25 August 1976, Sichuan Exped. 13695 (CDBI). Leibo, limestone meadow, elev. 700 m, 30 August 1964, T. P. Zhu et al. 359 (CDBI). Liangshan, roadside, thickets, 20 August 1959, Sichuan Economic Plants (Liangshan) Exped. 5615 (KUN, PE). Puge, Jiaoji River, near Jinsha River, slope, sunny, rocky side, elev. 1200 m, 13 August 1960, Sichuan Exped. 25676 (SM).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Herbarium specimens of Phanera esquirolii (Gagnep.) Sinou & Bruneau, P. comosa (Craib) Bandyop. & Ghoshal and P. delavayi (Franch.) Sinou & Bruneau. A–I & L–N. Type materials of P. esquirolii: A, D & E. M. F. Ducloux 4516 (P02088528, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle), D shows the oblate flower buds, E shows the sepals that remain erect during flowering; B, F & G. J. Esquirol 1117 (P02088529, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle), F shows the turbinate flower buds, G shows the sepals that become reflexed during flowering; C, H & I. M. F. Ducloux 5589 (P06834421, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle), H shows the ovoid flower buds, I shows the sepals that become reflexed during flowering; L. M. F. Ducloux 5589 (P06834423, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle); J. Lectotype of P. delavayi, J. M. Delavayi 1055 (P02088525, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle); K. Isotype of P. comosa, A. Henry 13358 (NY00003510, © The New York Botanical Garden); M–S. Flower buds on specimens of P. esquirolii (incl. P. comosa): M & N from M. F. Ducloux 5589 (P06834423, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle), O, P & R from A. Henry 10193 (holotype of Bauhinia saxatilis Craib, K000760721, © Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), Q from J. Esquirol 1117 (lectotype of Bauhinia esquirolii Gagnep., P02088529, © Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle), S from A. Henry 13358 (isotype of B. comosa Craib, NY00003510, © The New York Botanical Garden).