[Botany • 2023] Primula weimingii (Primulaceae) • A New Species from Yunnan, China

Primula weimingii Bin Yang & Y.H.Tan, 

in Yang, Zuo, Li, Quan, Wang, Zhou, He et Tan, 2023. 

维明报春  || taiwania.NTU.edu.tw/abstract/1961

Abstract

Primula weimingii Bin Yang & Y.H.Tan, a new species of Primulaceae from Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. Morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses in our previous research support P. weimingii as a member of the P. sect. Obconicolisteri. Primula weimingii is characterized by having mostly creeping scape with a propagating function that terminates in a leaf rosette, carrying an umbel of 2–4 flowers, narrowly campanulate calyx, 5–7mm long, and corolla tube slightly longer than the calyx.

Keyword: Obconicolisteri, Primula obconica, Primula zhengyii, Primulaceae, Yunnan

Primula weimingii Bin Yang & Y.H.Tan.
 A. Habitat; B. Habit; C. Stolon with infructescence; D. Inflorescence; E. Infructescence; F. Immature capsule;G. Flowers (Pin flowers: G1. front view, G2. lateral view; Thrum flowers: G3. front view, G4. lateral view); H. Inflorescence; I. Dissected flowers, showing stamens and styles (I1. pin flowers, I2. thrum flower).

 (Photos: A by Li Wang, B-I by Bin Yang)

Primula weimingii Bin Yang & Y.H.Tan, sp. nov.

维明报春  

Diagnosis: Primula weimingii is similar to P. zhenyii in having elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaf blades and stamens inserted almost in the middle of the corolla tube of pin flowers, near the throat of the corolla tube of thrum flowers, but can be easily distinguished by its mostly creeping scape with propagating function that terminates in a leaf rosette, carrying an umbel of 2–4 flowers, calyx narrowly campanulate, 5–7mm (vs. 3–4 mm) long, and larger corolla size (1.2–2.0 cm vs. 1.1–1.2 cm) (Table 1).

Etymology: The species epithet weimingii honors Prof. Weiming Zhu (朱维明-Wei Ming Chu, 1930-2023) from Yunnan University, who worked on plant taxonomy and made significant contributions to China's flora of lycophytes and ferns. 

Morphological differences (habit and thrum flower) between Primula weimingii and its two closely related species.
 A1-A2. P. weimingii ; B1-B2. P. zhengyii; C1-C2. P. obconica subsp. obconica.

 (Photos: A1. by Wei Zhang; A2, B1-B2. by Bin Yang, C1-C2. by De-Chang Meng).

Holotype of Primula weimingii (HITBC0091830)

Bin Yang, Yun-Juan Zuo, Mei Li, Dong-Li Quan, Li Wang, Shi-Shun Zhou, Gui He and Yun-Hong Tan. 2023. Primula weimingii (Primulaceae), A New Species from Yunnan, China. Taiwania. 68(4); 435-438. 

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2023.68.435 taiwania.NTU.edu.tw/abstract/1961