Friday, October 27, 2023

[Botany • 2023] Walsura guangxiensis (Meliaceae) • A New Species from Guangxi, China


Walsura guangxiensis  Y.Nong & Y.F. Huang,  

in Nong, Xu, Wei, Yan, Qu, Zhang, Hu et Huang, 2023. 
广西割舌树  ||  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.234.106205

Abstract
Walsura guangxiensis (Meliaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, is here described and illustrated. The new species is easily distinguishable from the other two Chinese members of the genus by its petals being pale yellow, filaments being connate into tubes above the middle, the berry being oval and glabrous. An identification key of Walsura for 17 species is also provided.

Key words: China, Meliaceae, new species, taxonomy, Walsura guangxiensis


 Line drawing of Walsura guangxiensis 
A flowering branch B flowers C fruits D style and ovary E staminal tube spread out F free portion of stamen
 (Drawn by Xin-Cheng Qu).

 Walsura guangxiensis Y.Nong & Y.F. Huang, 
A flowering branch B flowers C staminal filaments D staminal tube E calyx F ovary and stigma G flower and stipules H fruits
(Photographed by You Nong and Ke-Jian Yan, edited by Yuan Fang).

 Walsura guangxiensis Y.Nong & Y.F. Huang, sp. nov.
 Chinese name: guǎng xī gē shé shù (广西割舌树)

Diagnosis: Walsura guangxiensis is readily distinguishable from the other two Chinese species of Walsura, Walsura guangxiensis is similar to W. pinnata and W. robusta regarding secondary veins 3–9 (vs. secondary veins 8–11 / secondary veins 5–8); but differs with petals being pale yellow (vs. petals white / petals white); stamen filaments undivided, connate into tubes above the middle (vs. stamen filaments broad, basal to middle part connate into a tube, tip 2-lobed / stamen filament base or basal to middle part connate into a tube); berry oval, 1–2 cm long and 1–1.2 cm wide, glabrous, thin peel, yellow and shiny when mature (vs. berry globose to ovoid, ca. 1.5 cm in diam., densely covered with yellowish gray trichomes / berry globose to ovoid, 1–2 cm in diam., densely covered with yellowish gray trichomes).

Etymology: Guangxi is located in the southwest of China and is a biodiversity hotspot where many new species or new species records have been found (Hu et al. 2019; Luo et al. 2020; Feng et al. 2021; Xin et al. 2021; Huang et al. 2022). The new species, W. guangxiensis, is found in this region and is named after the geographic location.


You Nong, Chuan-Gui Xu, Gui-Yuan Wei, Ke-Jian Yan, Xin-Cheng Qu, Zhan-Jiang Zhang, Ren-Chuan Hu and Yun-Feng Huang. 2023. Walsura guangxiensis (Meliaceae), A New Species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys. 234: 219-227.  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.234.106205