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| Oreocharis xieyongii T. Deng, D.G. Zhang & H. Sun, in Lv, Yusupov, Zhang, Zhang, ... Sun et Deng, 2022. photos: Daigui Zhang |
Highlights
• The new species (Oreocharis xieyongii) was discovered in Wuling Mountains.
• O. xieyongii possess longer adaxial corolla lip, which is a rare character.
Abstract
A new species, Oreocharis xieyongii T. Deng, D.G. Zhang & H. Sun, from Hunan Province, central China, is described. The combination of purple zygomorphic corolla with longer adaxial lobes and exserted stamens defines the species and discriminates it from all other current Oreocharis species. Morphological traits of the new species were compared to those of two similar species, Oreocharis xiangguiensis and O. rubrostriata. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the new species is nested within the Oreocharis. Although only half of Oreocharis species were included in our study, evolutionary character analysis indicates that the ancestral states of the genus are likely the purple corolla, longer abaxial lip and inserted stamens. The longer adaxial lip is perhaps an apomorphy and only present in O. xieyongii and O. rubrostriata. Both morphological and molecular evidence suggest that O. xieyongii is a taxon new to science.
Keywords: China, Gesneriaceae, Morphology, Phylogeny, Taxonomy
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| Oreocharis xieyongii T. Deng, D.G. Zhang & H. Sun. A) Habitat; (B) Habit; (C) Adaxial surface of leaf and petiole with densely rust-brown trichomes; (D) Abaxial surface of leaf and petiole with densely rust-brown trichomes; (E) Flowering inflorescence; (F) Flower in side view; (G) Opened flower showing petals, sepals, stamens and pistil; (H) Opened flower showing five stamens; (I) Pistil and calyx. (Photos: Daigui Zhang). |
Oreocharis xieyongii T. Deng, D.G. Zhang & H. Sun sp. nov.
Diagnosis: —The new species can easily be distinguished from most other species except Oreocharis rubrostriata by the obvious presence of a longer adaxial lip and exserted stamens. The rhombic-lanceolate to elliptic leaf (vs. broadly elliptic to nearly rounded), purple corolla (vs. yellow), absent staminode (vs. 1), and pistil glabrous (vs. puberulous) in the new species differentiates it from O. rubrostriata.
Etymology: — The epithet of this new species refers to Mr. Yong Xie who is the president of the famous cosmetics brand “Dr Plant” and has made a significant contribution to public education of biodiversity.
Vernacular name: — Chinese mandarin: Xiè yǒng mǎ líng jù tái (解勇马铃苣苔).
Zhen-Yu Lv, Ziyoviddin Yusupov, Dai-Gui Zhang, Ya-Zhou Zhang, ... Hang Sun and Tao Deng. 2022. Oreocharis xieyongii, An unusual New Species of Gesneriaceae from western Hunan, China. Plant Diversity. 44(2); 222-230. DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.11.008
