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| Breynia hiemalis Huan C. Wang & Feng Yang, in Yang, Chen, ... et Wang, 2022. |
Abstract
Breynia hiemalis Huan C. Wang & Feng Yang (Phyllanthaceae), of sect. Cryptogynium (Müll.Arg.) Welzen & Pruesapan in subg. Breynia, is described from Yunnan, south-west China. It is known from only a single locality in the valley of the Yuanjiang River, and usually occurs in the understory of the savanna vegetation. It is characterized by its broadly elliptic to orbicular leaf blades, shallowly plate-like calyces of the staminate flowers, ovaries with clearly erose rim and urceolate capsules. Morphological comparisons with similar species are also presented.
Keywords: Breynia sect. Cryptogynium, endemism, Sauropus, savanna, Yuanjiang River
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Breynia hiemalis Huan C. Wang & Feng Yang, A habit B pistillate flower (apical view) C fruit D staminate flower (apical view) E staminate flower (lateral view). (Drawn by Jing-Yi Ye from type specimen H. C. Wang et al. YJ16225) |
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| Breynia hiemalis Huan C. Wang & Feng Yang, A habit B phyllanthoid branch showing pistillate flower and staminate flowers C stipule D staminate flower (apical view) E pistillate flower (apical view) F calyx in fruit (dorsal view) G fruit. Photographed by H. C. Wang from type locality in January 2022. |
Breynia hiemalis Huan C. Wang & Feng Yang, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Breynia hiemalis can easily be distinguished from all morphologically similar species by plants glabrous throughout, by its broadly elliptic to orbicular and relatively small (4–21 × 4–17 mm) leaves, calyx of staminate flower shallowly plate-like, ovary rim conspicuously erose, and the urceolate capsule with a raised and lobed apical rim.
Etymology: The epithet ‘‘hiemalis’’ is Latin for ‘‘belonging to winter’’, referring to the flowering period of this new species.
Feng Yang, Chao Chen, Jing-Yi Ye, Jian-Yong Wu and Huan-Chong Wang. 2022. Breynia hiemalis (Phyllanthaceae, Phyllantheae), A New Species from Yunnan, south-west China. PhytoKeys 206: 75-86. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.206.85241