[Botany • 2022] Rungia fangdingiana (Acanthaceae) • A New Species from Guangxi, China

 Rungia fangdingiana Z. L. Lin, Y. F. Deng & Y. H. Tan,

in Lin, Tan, Huang & Deng, 2022. 

方鼎孩儿草 || DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.202.86653

Abstract

Rungia fangdingiana, a new species of Acanthaceae from Guangxi, China is described and illustrated. This new species belongs to Rungia sect. Rungia, and resembles R. sinothailandica and R. burmanica in the erect perennial herbaceous habit, elliptic leaves and inflorescence form, but differs mainly by the indumentum and the morphology of the bracts and corolla. The pollen and seed micromorphology of this new species are studied, with photographs and a line drawing provided.

Keywords: limestone, SEM, taxonomy, tricolporate pollen

Photographs of Rungia fangdingiana sp. nov.
 A habit B spike (abaxial view showing the sterile bracts) C spike (adaxial view showing the fertile bracts and fruits) D spike (adaxial view showing the fertile bracts and corolla) E corolla F, G adaxial view of leaf blade (showing the linear cystoliths)

A–E by Yun-Hong Tan, F, G by Zhe-Li Lin.

 Rungia fangdingiana Z. L. Lin, Y. F. Deng & Y. H. Tan, sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis: Similar to Rungia sinothailandica and R. burmanica, but is readily distinguishable by the flat, entire bract margin (vs. crispate, tawny membranous bract margin in R. sinothailandica, and crenulate bract margin in R. burmanica), glabrous calyx and capsule (vs. puberulous calyx and puberulent capsule in R. sinothailandica and R. burmanica), pale yellow corolla with red stripes, upper lip unlobed (vs. white corolla with red stripes, upper lip 2-lobed in R. sinothailandica, and white corolla with purple dotted stripes, upper lip unlobed in R. burmanica). A detailed comparison of the three species is given in Table 1.

Etymology: This new species is named in honor of Mr. Fang Ding (1924–2017) for his contributions to studies of the family Acanthaceae from Guangxi, China. He was the co-author of the account of family Acanthaceae for “Flora of Guangxi” and has published 37 new taxa of Acanthaceae from Guangxi (Fang and Deng 2017).

Vernacular name: 方鼎孩儿草 (Chinese pinyin: fāng dǐng hái ér cǎo).

Distribution and habitat: This species is currently known from three localities in Napo County of Guangxi Province. It grows close to stream sides in evergreen forest on limestone at elevations of 600 to 1200 m.

Zhe-Li Lin, Yun-Hong Tan, Yun-Feng Huang and Yun-Fei Deng. 2022. Rungia fangdingiana (Acanthaceae), A New Species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys. 202: 97-105. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.202.86653