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| Aristolochia crispata Y. Fan Wang & Z.R. Guo, in Wang et Guo, 2026. |
Abstract
Aristolochia crispata Y. Fan Wang & Z.R. Guo (Aristolochiaceae) is described as a new species of A. subg. Siphisia from western Guangdong, China. It is a narrow endemic of high-elevation bamboo forests near mountain summits in the Xinyi City area. It has been collected before but misidentified as A. championii, a morphologically similar congener. The new species is readily distinguished from other Aristolochia taxa by its distinctive floral morphology, characterised by a ruffled, annular calyx limb with a yellow-ochre adaxial surface densely maculate with dark red spots. A detailed morphological description is provided and A. crispata is compared with A. championii and A. haimingii. An identification key to the species of Aristolochia subg. Siphisia occurring in Guangdong and to morphologically similar species from adjacent regions is provided. Aristolochia crispata is tentatively assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN Red List criteria.
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| Aristolochia crispata. — A: Habitat. — B: Flowering plant in situ. — C: Plants climbing as vines in high-elevation bamboo forest. — D: Young seedlings. — E: Perianth morphology, abaxial surface (left) and adaxial surface of the perianth tube (right). — F: Gynostemium. — G: Root system. — H: Developing fruit capsule. — I: Papilionid butterfly larva feeding on the leaves. A–C, E, F, H and I photographed at the type locality on 28 May 2013; D and G photographed on 25 December 2025, associated with the paratype gathering Y.F. Wang, Z.R. Guo & Y.W. Jiang ARI25GD002. |
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| Line drawing of Aristolochia crispata (based on the type gathering, Y. Tong, Y.H. Tong & B.M. Wang 13052846). — A: Young twining stem. — B: Old twining stem, more than two years old, showing nodes bearing cauliflorous inflorescences. — C and D: Fruit capsule, lateral and basal views. — E: Whole-plant habit, showing the twining liana and subterranean tuberous root. — F and G: Bud, lateral and frontal views. — H and I: Gynostemium, top and lateral views. — J–L: Flower at anthesis, frontal, lateral and posterior views. — M and N: Leaf, adaxial and abaxial surfaces. |
Aristolochia crispata Y. Fan Wang & Z.R. Guo, sp. nova
Diagnosis. Aristolochia crispata is most similar to A. championii and A. haimingii, but is distinguished by its connate, annular calyx limb with a conspicuously ruffled outline, yellow-ochre adaxial surface densely maculate with dark red spots, upwardly reflexed lower portion and fully dark purple throat. Aristolochia championii differs in having a uniformly reddish-brown calyx limb and a bright yellow throat with sparse red flecks, whereas A. haimingii has a yellowish-green to bright yellow limb with purple striping, an evenly expanded smooth margin and a yellow to yellowish-green throat. For additional diagnostic characters, see Fig. 4 and Table 1.
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Etymology. The specific epithet crispata is the feminine singular derived from the Latin crispatus, referring to the conspicuously ruffled, annular calyx limb that distinguishes this species from its congeners.
Yifan Wang and Zirui Guo. 2026. Aristolochia crispata (Aristolochiaceae), A New Species from Guangdong, China. Annales Botanici Fennici. 63(1); 283-291. DOI: doi.org/10.5735/085.063.0136 (21 October 2026)
