Friday, June 7, 2019

[Botany • 2019] Oreocharis odontopetala (Gesneriaceae) • A New Species from Guizhou, China


Oreocharis odontopetala Q.Fu & Y.Q.Wang

in Fu, Xia, Guo, Huang & Wang, 2019. 

Abstract
A new species, Oreocharis odontopetala Q.Fu & Y.Q.Wang from Guizhou Province in southwest China, is described and illustrated, based on morphological comparison with existing species. It is morphologically most similar to O. elegantissima, but can be easily distinguished by its adaxially bullate leaf blade, abaxially conspicuous reticulate veinlets, brown-purple peduncles, triangular adaxial corolla lobes and abaxial corolla lobe margins bearing 4–10 long teeth, glabrous style and shorter stamens with confluent thecae at the apex, as well as leaf epidermal characters.

Keywords: Briggsia, endemism, leaf epidermis, morphology, new taxon, taxonomy


 Figure 2. Morphological comparison of (A) Oreocharis odontopetala and (B) O. elegantissima.
 -1 habitat and habit. -2 adaxial leaf surface. -3 abaxial leaf surface. -4 opened corolla, showering lip lobes and stamens with anthers cohering in pairs. -5 anthers. -6 thecae, showing confluence at apex (white arrowhead), or no confluence (black arrowhead). -7 immature pistil and disc, showing glandular pubescence (B) or absence (A).

Oreocharis odontopetala Q.Fu & Y.Q.Wang, sp. nov.
  
Diagnosis: Oreocharis odontopetala is most similar to O. elegantissima, having a similar shape of leaf blade, lanceolate sepals and bracts, stellate ring-like disc, pistil and fruits. Oreocharis odontopetala differs from O. elegantissima by its adaxially bullate leaf blade (vs. not bullate), with abaxially reticulate veinlets conspicuous (vs. veinlets inconspicuous); peduncles brown-purple (vs. green); adaxial corolla lobes triangular (vs. oblong) and abaxial corolla lobe margins with 4–10 long teeth (vs. margin nearly entire); style glabrous (vs. glandular pubescent) and stamens shorter (adaxial 0.5–1.4 vs. 2.0–2.6 cm, abaxial 0.8–1.8 vs. 2.3–2.7 cm) with confluent thecae at apex (vs. not confluent).
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Figure 1. Oreocharis odontopetala. A habit; B flower; C opened corolla, showing lip lobes and stamens; D abaxial stamens (dorsal view); E cohering pair of anthers (anterior view); F adaxial stamens (dorsal view); G calyx, pistil and stigma; H bracts (ventral and dorsal view); I sepals (the two on the right showing ventral view and the three on the left showing dorsal view); J adaxial leaf surface; K abaxial leaf surface.
 Drawn by Ms Yun-Xiao Liu based on the holotype (WYQ-2018-112).

Etymology: The species is named after its abaxial strongly toothed corolla lobes.

Vernacular name: Chǐ Bàn Cū Tǒng Jǜ Tái (Chinese pronunciation); 齿瓣粗筒苣苔 (Chinese name).


 Qiong Fu, Ying Xia, Ying Guo, Rong Huang and Ying-Qiang Wang. 2019. Oreocharis odontopetala, A New Species of Gesneriaceae from Guizhou, China. PhytoKeys. 124: 1-9. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.124.34609