Gaultheria crassifolia (Airy Shaw) P.W.Fritsch & Lu Lu, 2015

Fritsch, Peter W., Lu, Lu, Wang, Hong & Li, De-Zhu, 2015, New species, taxonomic renovations, and typifications in Gaultheria series Trichophyllae (Ericaceae), Phytotaxa 201 (1), pp. 1-26 : 9

3. Gaultheria crassifolia (Airy Shaw) P.W.Fritsch & Lu Lu , comb. et stat. nov.

≡ Gaultheria sinensis J.Anthony in Anonymous (1933: 19) var. crassifolia Airy Shaw (1941: 326) . Type:— CHINA. Xizang: [Chayu Xian], Salwin-Kiu Chiang divide, 28°40 ʹ N, 98°15 ʹ E, October 1919, G. Forrest 19286 (holotype K!, isotype E!).

Ascending-erect shrublet with stems to 10 cm long from horizontal stolons, hermaphroditic. Current-year branchlets pale green, occasionally flushed red, to 3.5 cm long, with sparse white puberulence and ascending or uncinate straight setae, longer setae 0.28–0.54 mm long. Internodes among largest leaves averaging ca. 1.1–1.3 mm. Petioles 0.7– 1.5 mm long, abaxially glabrous or with sparse ascending setae, adaxially with sparse white puberulence in a line, margin 1- to 3-toothed per side. Longer leaf blades oblanceolate, 8.9–12 × 4–5.7 mm, 1.9–3 times as long as wide, coriaceous, planar, abaxially dull whitish green except glossy and occasionally flushed maroon near margin, glabrous or occasionally those of some leaves with 1 to 9 appressed or ascending setae scattered on midvein (longer setae 0.26– 0.4 mm long), adaxially glossy deep green, midvein abaxially raised, not thickened immediately below apical gland, midvein adaxially impressed and with white puberulence proximally, secondary veins abaxially obscure or occasionally faintly 1 to 3 on each side of midvein, adaxially obscure; base cuneate; margin serrulate throughout, slightly thickened, planar or slightly revolute, often strongly so proximally, marginal teeth (setae) 10 to 15 per side, all oriented off leaf surface, longer teeth 0.14–0.28 mm long; apex obtuse to rounded, tip with strongly downward-pointing apical gland. Overwintering flower bud pedicels 1.2–2.3 mm long, glabrous; overwintering flower buds slightly compressed laterally, 1.7–3.4 × 1.3–2.0 mm, 1.2–1.8 times as long as wide, glabrous, bracteoles slightly keeled, margins eciliate. Flowers ca. 5 mm long. Calyx green, 2.7–3.5 mm long; lobes narrowly ovate-deltoid, 1.5–3.2 × 1–1.8 mm, adaxially glabrous, apex narrowly acute, eciliolate, smooth. Corolla white, urceolate, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm; lobes 1–1.2 × 0.8–1 mm. Stamens 10; filaments gradually dilated toward middle, 0.9–1.2 mm long; anther cells 0.3–0.44 mm long, awns 1 or 2 per theca, 0.33–0.45 mm long. Style 1.4–2.5 mm long; stigma pink. Fruiting pedicel 2–3.5 mm long. Fruiting calyx subglobose, closed, 6–9 × 6–9 mm, outer wall dark bluish purple, inner wall light blue or bluish purple; calyx lobes incurved, long-deltoid, 3.5–5 mm long, apex eciliolate, not erose. Capsule green, exceeded by calyx lobes

Illustration — Figure 4 .

Images — Figure 1L–P .

Phenology —Flowering June–July; fruiting August–October.

Habitat and distribution —Coniferous forests, margins of bamboo thickets, alpine meadows and thickets, granite and metamorphics, in humus, banks of roadcuts; 3100–4200 m elev. China (Yunnan, Xizang) .

Discussion — Airy Shaw (1941) described this taxon as a variety of Gaultheria sinensis . However, we observed it growing alongside G. sinensis in both the Gaoligong Mountains and Biluo Snow Mountains, and in each place both entities are morphologically distinct from each other and from the other species of G. series Trichophyllae growing with them. Gaultheria crassifolia is distinct from G. sinensis by the following characters: plants ascending-erect (versus prostrate-ascending); leaf blades oblanceolate (versus generally elliptic), coriaceous (versus subcoriaceous), often strongly revolute proximally (versus only slightly so), apex strongly downward-pointing (versus planar or only slightly downward-pointing); and fruiting calyx subglobose (versus crateriform to cupuliform), closed (versus open), outer wall dark bluish purple (versus deep sky blue), and inner wall light blue or bluish purple (versus white).

Additional specimens examined — CHINA. Yunnan: Deqin Xian. SE Tibet, Ka-gwr-pu, Mekong-Salwin divide, 12,000 ft, 28°25´N, July 1917, G. Forrest 14216 p.p. (E! mixed with the lectotype of G. sinensis ). Yanmen Xiang, Biluo Xue Shan, E slope just below Sila Pass, 3936 m, 28°00 ʹ 8.5 ʺ N, 98°47 ʹ 54.8 ʺ E, 24 September 2013, L. Lu LL-2013-53 (CAS!, GH!, KUN!) . Fugong Xian. Lishadi Xiang, Yaduo Cun , N side of N fork of Yamu He above Shibali , rd to Myanmar border, E side of Gaoligong Shan , 3519 m, 27°12 ʹ 40.1 ʺ N, 98°42 ʹ 25.1 ʺ E, 2 July 2014, L. Lu LL-2014- 30 (CAS!, KUN!) . Gongshan Dulongzu Nuzu Zizhixian. Bingzhongluo Xiang, ca. 3.4 direct km S of Gawagapu Mtn. and ca. 15.8 direct km WSW of Bingzhongluo in next basin E of Chukuai lake , E side of Gaoligong Shan , 3710 m, 27°58 ʹ 46.2 ʺ N, 98°28 ʹ 25.6 ʺ E, 30 August 2006, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 31683 ( CAS!) ; Cikai Zheng, Gaoligong Shan, vicinity of tunnel at Heipu Pass along rd from Gongshan to Dulongjiang , 3400 m, 27°46 ʹ 42.4 ʺ N, 98°27 ʹ 29.4 ʺ E, 13 September 2013, L. Lu LL-2013-13 (CAS!, GH!, KUN!) ; Cikai Zheng, Gaoligong Shan, Qiqi River drainage, along trail from No. 12 Bridge to Dong Shao Fang and pass, 3498 m, 27°41 ʹ 37.6 ʺ N, 98°27 ʹ 38.1 ʺ E, 18 September 2013, L. Lu LL-2013-33 (CAS!, GH!, KUN!) ; Cikai Zheng, vicinity of tunnel at Heipu Pass along rd from Gongshan to Dulongjiang , E side of Gaoligong Shan , 3400 m, 27°46 ʹ 42.4 ʺ N, 98°27 ʹ 29.4 ʺ E, 26 June 2014, L. Lu LL-2014-2 (CAS!, KUN!) ; [Cikai Zheng], Gaoligong Shan, Dongshaofang Pass , 3100–3200 m, 4 June 2006, L. Lu 06- 0001A ( CAS!) ; rd from Gongshan to Dulong River , 3800 [3300?] m, 16 September 2003, S.K. Wu et al. 055 ( KUN!) ; [Dulongjiang Xiang], Salwin-Kiukiang Divide, Parolaka , 3500 m, 13 October 1938, T.T. Yü 20683 (A!, E!, KUN!) . Xizang: Chayu Xian. Ri Dong Qu, 4200 m, 8 September 1982, Qinghai-Xizang Expedition 10107 ( KUN!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Images of Gaultheria series Trichophyllae habitats, and G. albiflora, G. ciliisepala, and G. crassifolia. A–C. Gaultheria series Trichophyllae habitats: glacially carved valley along road from Gongshan to Dulongjiang, east slope of Gaoligong Shan, ca. 3400 m elev. (A), along trail from Qi Qi Forestry Station to Dong Shao Fang and the pass, east slope of Gaoligong Shan, ca. 3600 m elev. (B), just below Sila Pass, east slope of Biluo Xue Shan, ca. 4000 m elev. (C). D–F. Gaultheria albiflora, habit (D), fruit, lateral view (E) and apical view (F) (L. Lu LL-2013-50). G–K. Gaultheria ciliisepala, habit (G), flowers showing variation in size and color (H–I), fruit, lateral view (J) and apical view (K) (G: L. Lu & P.W. Fritsch LL-2011-8; H: L. Lu 06-15; I: L. Lu LL-2014-4; J–K: L. Lu LL-2013-20). L–P. Gaultheria crassifolia, habit (L), flower, lateral view (M) and apical view (N), fruit, lateral view (O) and apical view (P) (L, P: L. Lu LL-2013-13; M–N, LL-2014-30; O: L. Lu LL-2013-33). Photographs: A, C, E–F, I–L by PWF; B, D, G–H, M–P by LL. Scale bars: D, L, 5 cm; E–F, H–I, M–P, 5 mm; G, 10 cm; J–K, 10 mm.

FIGURE 4. Gaultheria crassifolia. A. Fruiting plant (from herbarium material; calyx is thus open). B. Section of branchlet with leaves in abaxial (right) and adaxial (left) view, and flower bud. C. Flower. D. Stamen. E. Nectar glands and gynoecium. F. Fruit, lateral view. G. Fruit, apical view. (A–B, drawn from the isotype G. Forrest 19286, E; C, E drawn from L. Lu LL-2014-2, CAS, and images of the living plant; D drawn from T.T. Yü 20683, A; F–G drawn from L. Lu LL-2013-33, CAS, and images of the living plant.)