Salvia changchuniana B.Y. Ding, Z.H. Chen & X.F. Jin, 2023

Jin, Xiao-Feng, Ding, Bing-Yang, Chen, Zheng-Hai, Xu, Yue-Liang & Lu, Kai-Xing, 2023, Salvia changchuniana (Lamiaceae), a new species from Zhejiang, East China, Phytotaxa 616 (3), pp. 288-294 : 292-293

Salvia changchuniana B.Y. Ding, Z.H. Chen & X.F. Jin , sp. nov. Figs. 2 & 3

This new species is similar to S. liguliloba Sun in having cauline leaves 3‒5-paired, simple, verticillasters extending to one side, but differs from the latter by having wider leaves, cauline leaf blade ovate-elliptic, ovate or broadly ovate, 10–20 cm long, 6–12 cm wide, corolla shorter, 1.3–1.5 cm long, tube outside densely pubescent, limb villous and glandular externally, middle lobe of lower lip compressed rounded-spathulate, larger than lateral lobes, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, margin praemorse.

TYPE: CHINA. Zhejiang: Fenghua, Chunhu, Jiufengshan , 106°23′28.85″E, 23°44′29.95″N, base of hill along stream, elev. 115 m, 10 Jun. 2019, B. Y. Ding & Z. H. Chen 16357 (holotype: ZM ; isotypes: IBK, ZJFC, ZM) .

Herbs perennial. Roots pale yellow-brown. Stems 50‒120 cm tall, unbranched, 4-angled, longitudinally grooved, densely recurved pubescent and sparsely spreading villous. Leaves simple, opposite. Basal leaves long-petiolate; petioles 5‒10 cm long; blades ovate-elliptic, ovate-oblong or broadly ovate, 7‒13 cm long, 4‒9 cm wide, apex obtuse, base shallowly cordate, margin crenate, adaxially green, abaxially purple-red, short-hispid on veins of both surfaces. Cauline leaves 3‒5-paired; petioles 3‒12 cm long; blades ovate-elliptic, ovate or broadly ovate, 9.5‒13(‒20) cm long, 4.5‒7(‒12) cm wide, apex acute or short-acuminate, base shallowly cordate, with same indumentum of basal leaves, adaxially dark green, abaxially pale green. Upper leaves short-petiolate or subsessile; blades smaller, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate, base rounded or truncate. Verticillasters 4‒8-flowered, in a terminal or axial 10‒30 cm long sub-racemes, extending to one side, sometimes base branched; lateral inflorescence with a 6‒10 cm long peduncle; rachis densely recurved pubescent and glandular. Calyx narrowly campanulate, ca. 7 mm long, glandular, sparsely hispid on veins, glabrous inside; posterior lip erect, obovate-elliptic, apex 3-lobed with minute teeth; anterior lip 2- lobed, lobes lanceolate. Corolla 1.3‒1.5 cm long, tube pale purple or white-purple, densely pubescent and glandular outside, obliquely pilose annulate near base inside, limb purple or white-purple, 2-lipped; posterior lip straight, ca. 2.5 mm long, 2-lobed; anterior lip horizontally spreading, ca. 5 mm long, 3-lobed, lateral lobes obliquely ovate-triangular, middle lobe spathulate, upper amplified to compressed round-spathulate, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, margin praemorse, villous and glandular outside, sparsely pubescent inside. Fertile stamens 2; filaments ca. 2 mm long; connectives arcuate, villous, upper arms ca. 5 mm long; lower arms separated, ca. 2 mm long; anthers black-brown, ca. 2 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, ca. 0.8 mm long, green; style ca. 14 mm long, glabrous; stigma 2.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ changchuniana ’ is in honor of Prof. Chang-Chun Wu (1905‒1974), who was the founder of Herbarium of Zhejiang University (HZU) and devoted himself to the taxonomic study on the ferns and seed plants of Zhejiang Province.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting occurs from late May to mid-June.

Additional specimens examined: CHINA. Zhejiang: Fenghua, Chunhu, Jiufengshan, base of hill along stream, elev. 118 m, 4 Jun. 2019, B. Y. Ding & K. X. Lu 16355 (ZM); the same locality, introduced in Hangzhou, 6 Jun. 2019, B. Y. Ding 16356 (ZM); Longtangshan, elev. 336 m, ravine forests, 10 Jun. 2019, B. Y. Ding & Z. H. Chen 16359 (HHBG, HZU, ZM, ZJFC); the same locality, introduced in the campus of Jiyang College in Zhuji, 28 May 2019, Y. L. Xu & B. Y. Ding Xu1322 (ZM).

Conservation status: Near threatened(NT).The new species is currently known from the type locality, Jiufengshan in Fenghua County in the city of Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang and grows along a stream in forests. The habitat is declining because of human disturbance (IUNC 2019) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Salvia changchuniana sp. nov. (A) habit; (B) flower, showing corolla and calyx shape; (C) opened corolla, showing stamens and lip shapes.

FIGURE 3. Salvia changchuniana sp. nov. (A–F) and S. liguliloba (G–K). (A) habit; (B) basal leaves; (C) cauline leaves; (D) part of inflorescence; (E) calyx and corolla shape; (F) shape of anterior lip; (G) habit; (H) basal leaves; (I) cauline leaves; (J) part of inflorescence; (K) shape of corolla and anterior lip.