Tuesday, January 23, 2024

[Botany • 2024] Aletris guangxiensis (Nartheciaceae) • A New Species from Guangxi, China


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

in Nong, Lai, Qin, Wei, Yan, Xu, Zhao, Hu et Huang, 2024. 
广西肺筋草  ||  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.237.115037
 
Abstract
Aletris guangxiensis Y. Nong & Y. F. Huang (Nartheciaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is most similar to A. scopulorum, but it can be easily distinguished by its sparsely glandular, 5–18 cm long scape, glandular inflorescence axis, distinctly pedicellate flowers, sparsely glandular, 5–10 mm long pedicel, bract borne at base of pedicel, glabrous perianth divided to the base, strongly recurved or revolute perianth lobes and turbinate, obovoid to oblong-obovoid capsule. An identification key for 24 species and 1 hybrid of Aletris is also provided.

Key words: Conservation, flora of China, limestone, Nartheciaceae, taxonomy

Aletris guangxiensis
A flower (front view) B, C flower (lateral view) D ovary and stigma E young fruit F inflorescence node with flower-subtending bract and flower bud, pedicel with bracteole in its proximal part G inflorescence H flowers I plant
[Photographed by Ke–Jian Yan from G.Y. Wei WGY2023033001 (GXMI), edited by Yuan Fang].

Habitat of Aletris guangxiensis on the moist cliffs next to streams.
[Photographed by You Nong and Ke–Jian Yan].

 Aletris guangxiensis Y.Nong & Y.F.Huang, sp. nov.
Chinese name: guǎng xī fèi jīn cǎo (广西肺筋草)

Diagnosis: Aletris guangxiensis is most similar to A. scopulorum, but it differs by inflorescence axis sparsely glandular (vs. pubescent), pedicel 5–8 mm (vs. 0.5–3.5 mm), bract borne at base of pedicel (vs. bract borne on the proximal 1/2 of the pedicel), lobes strongly recurved or revolute, linear, 4–7 × 0.2–0.5 mm (vs. erect or slightly recurved, narrowly oblong–lanceolate to linear, 1.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.7 mm). At first glance, it also looks similar to A. gracilis Rendle and A. cinerascens Wang & Tang, but differs by its inflorescence axis sparsely glandular (vs. glabrous), pedicel 5–8 mm (vs. 1–10 mm), perianth white (vs. yellowish, whitish or pinkish/yellowish). More detailed morphological differences amongst the four species are provided in Table 1.
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You Nong, Ke-Dao Lai, Yun-Rui Qin, Gui-Yuan Wei, Ke-Jian Yan, Chuan-Gui Xu, Zi-Yi Zhao, Ren-Chuan Hu and Yun-Feng Huang. 2024. Aletris guangxiensis (Nartheciaceae), A New Species from Guangxi, China. PhytoKeys. 237: 79-89. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.237.115037