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| Rubus puyumaensis J.Y. Huang, P.H. Chen & A.C. Chung, in Chen, Huang et Chung, 2024. |
Abstract
Background: The genus Rubus L. (Rosaceae), comprising approximately 750 species and classified into 12 subgenera, is distributed worldwide and is one of the largest plant genera. In Taiwan, Rubus comprises 41 taxa, including 35 species, three varieties and three hybrids. Amongst the genus Rubus, the species, previously recorded as R. howii in Taiwan, was misidentified and this study recognised it as a new species.
New information: Due to its distribution mainly in south-eastern Taiwan, we named this new species as Rubus puyumaensis, after the local aborigine tribe Puyuma. Taxonomic descriptions and colour photographs of the new species are provided to assist in identification. R. puyumaensis is most similar to R. howii and R. refractus. They can be distinguished by the colour of young leaves, leaf shape, arrangement of florets, trichomes of inflorescences, size of sepal lobes, petal colour, types and trichomes of filaments and the length of stamens and pistils.
Keywords: new taxon, Puyuma, Rubus howii, R. refractus, Taiwan
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| Rubus puyumaensis J.Y. Huang, P.H. Chen & A.C. Chung. A fruiting plant in natural habitat; B young leaf; C stipule; D leaf (adaxial surface); E leaf (abaxial surface); F leaves 3-lobed on vegetative branches; G inflorescence; H flower; I infructescence; J fruits. Photographed by J. Y. Huang. |
Rubus puyumaensis J.Y. Huang, P.H. Chen & A.C. Chung sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Rubus puyumaensis morphologically resembles R. howii and R. refractus. They can be distinguished by the following characteristics (Table 1). The young leaves of R. puyumaensis are often with purple spots and the other two without. There are underdeveloped lobes at the lower part of leaf in R. howii, with the other two having 2–4 well-developed lobes. The inflorescences have glandular trichomes and with florets arranged loosely in R. refractus; with the other two having no glandular trichomes and florets not loosely arranged. The length of sepal lobes: R. howii 6–8 mm, R. puyumaensis 6–7 mm, R. refractus 7–9 mm. The petal colour is light-tan in R. howii, with the other two being white. The filaments are wide, flat in R. refractus and narrow, flat in the other two; puberulent in R. puyumaensis and glabrous in the other two. The lengths of pistils compared to stamens in R. howii, R. puyumaensis and R. refractus are slightly longer, as long as and conspicuously longer, respectively.
Etymology: The new specific epithet commemorates the Puyuma aborigine, a group of indigenous people mainly settled in south-eastern Taiwan and includes the type locality of Rubus puyumaensis.
Distribution: Endemic to Taiwan, found in forests edge in the eastern part of the island at medium altitudes 800–1500 m.
Vernacular name: Bēi Nán Xuán Gōu Zǐ (Chinese pronunciation); 卑南懸鉤子 (Chinese name).
Po-Hao Chen, Juinn-Yih Huang and An-Ching Chung. 2024. Rubus puyumaensis, A New Species of Rosaceae from Taiwan. Biodiversity Data Journal. 12: e115431. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e115431