Tuesday, December 12, 2023

[Botany • 2023] Vaccinium chaozhouense (Ericaceae) • A New Species from East Guangdong, China

 

Vaccinium chaozhouense Y.H.Tong & J.H.Ding,   

in Tong, Ye, Ding, Huang, Huang et Ni, 2023. 
潮州越橘   ||  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.236.108732

Abstract
Vaccinium chaozhouense (Ericaceae), a new species from East Guangdong Province, China is described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar to V. wrightii by having flowers with persistent and leaf-like bracts, long pedicels, and white spherical-urceolate corollas, but is distinguished by having glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf blade, shorter pedicels, sparsely pilose corolla ridges, and anther thecae longer than the tubules. A key to the new species and morphologically similar species is also provided.

Key words: Endangered species, morphology, taxonomy, Vaccinieae, Vaccinium sect. Bracteata


Vaccinium chaozhouense  
 A habitat B habit and flowering branchlets C flowering branch D fruiting branches E abaxial surface of leaf blade showing glandular trichomes F flower G bracts, adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) surfaces H bracteoles, adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) surfaces I stamens, ventral (left), lateral (middle) and dorsal (right) view J hypanthium (with calyx lobes removed), showing disk and style K disk, top view L ovary cross-section, showing the pseudo-10-locular ovary.
 Scale bars: 5 mm (F–G, J); 3 mm (H); 2 mm (I, L); 1.5 mm (E, K). 
Photographs by Yi-Hua Tong, except D by Jian-Hong Ding.

 Vaccinium chaozhouense Y.H.Tong & J.H.Ding, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: The new species is most similar to V. wrightii A. Gray (including its variety with smaller habit and leaf blades, V. wrightii var. formosanum (Hayata) H. L. Li) by having flowers with persistent and leaf-like bracts, and white spherical-urceolate corollas, but is distinguished by the presence of glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf blade (vs. glabrous), shorter pedicels (4–6 mm vs. 5–15 mm), sparsely pilose (vs. glabrous) ridges of the corolla, and anther thecae longer than the tubules (vs. equal to or shorter than the tubules). A more detailed comparison of the two species is provided in Table 1.
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Etymology: The species epithet is named after the type locality, Chaozhou City. The Chinese name is given as 潮州越橘 (Chinese pinyin: cháo zhōu yuè jú).


 Yi-Hua Tong, Pei-Zhao Ye, Jian-Hong Ding, Wei-Chao Huang, Wei Huang and Jing-Bo Ni. 2023. Vaccinium chaozhouense (Ericaceae), A New Species from East Guangdong, China. PhytoKeys. 236: 113-119. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.236.108732