Oreocharis fulva W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui, 2019

Chen, Wen-Hong, Zhang, Ya-Mei, He, De-Ming, Li, Yong-Liang & Shui, Yu-Min, 2019, Four new species of Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae) in Yunnan province, China, PhytoKeys 157, pp. 83-99 : 83

Oreocharis fulva W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui sp. nov. Fig. 5

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Oreocharis georgei J. Anthony, but different in shallowly cordate leaf base (vs. narrowly cuneate), corolla ca. 2.4 cm long (vs. 1.4-1.9 cm), abaxial lip of corolla ca. 12 mm long (vs. 5-6 mm), the corolla throat not constricted (vs. constricted) and stamens coherent in 2 pairs (vs. separated).

Type.

CHINA. Yunnan Province: Lincang district, Yongde county, Daxue Mt., on rocks at forest margins along slope, 99°41'25"E, 24°11'50"N, elev. 2,000 m, 13 September 2013, in flower, Shui Y.M. et al. B2013-579 (holotype, KUN; isotype, KUN, PE).

Description.

Herbs perennial, stemless, rhizomatous. Leaves basal. Petiole 1-3 cm long, golden-brown villous; leaf blade elliptic, thickly chartaceous or nearly leathery, 2.8-4 × 1.2-1.6 cm, adaxially green, sparsely long golden-brown villous, abaxially red-brown and with densely long golden multi-articulate hairs (especially on midrib), base shallowly cordate, apex obtuse, margin widely crenate and ciliate; lateral veins ca. 5 pairs on each side of midrib. Inflorescences axillary, multi-flowered. Peduncles 4.5-7 cm, golden-brown villous; bracts 2, very small, linear, ca. 6 × 1 mm. Calyx 5-sect to base, lobes lanceolate or linear, ca. 8 × 1 mm, adaxially green and glabrous, abaxially red-brown and golden-brown villous. Corolla yellow, ca. 2.4 cm long, outside white glandular pubescent and inside glabrous; corolla tube cylindrical, not constricted at throat, ca. 1.2 cm long, ca. 0.2 cm in diam., more or less curving; limb 2-lipped, adaxial lip 0.3-0.4 cm, 2-lobed, much shorter than abaxial lip, lobes oblong or subround, ca. 0.2 × 0.15-0.25 cm, apex rounded; abaxial lip ca. 1.2 cm, 3-lobed, middle lobe oblong or obovate, 0.7-0.9 × 0.4-0.6 cm, lateral lobes oblong or obovate, closely equal, 0.6-0.7 × 0.3-0.5 cm, apex rounded. Stamens 4, coherent in 2 pairs, included, adaxial stamens ca. 7 mm, adnate to corolla tube ca. 4 mm from base, abaxial stamens ca. 8 mm, adnate to corolla tube ca. 6 mm from base; filaments white, adaxial ca. 0.7 cm, abaxial ca. 0.8 cm; anthers ca. 1 mm long, oblong, basifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; staminode 1, ca. 0.4 cm long, completely adnate to tube. Pistil included, ca. 0.7 cm long, glabrous; ovary columned, ca. 0.3 cm long, 2-loculed, glabrous; style ca. 0.3 cm, glabrous; stigmas 1, retuse; disc ring-like, ca. 0.1 cm high, margin dentate. Capsule straight, oblong, 2.0-2.5 cm long, existing style ca. 0.2 cm. Seeds not seen.

Distribution, habitat and phenology.

This species is only distributed in Yongde, Yunnan Province and grows on the rocks in montane forests. Flowering is September-October and fruiting is September-November.

Etymology.

The epithet " fulva " is named after the golden-brown villi on the plants.

Conservation status.

There is only a population with ca. 200 mature individuals and ca. 20, 000 m2 area (400 m × 500 m) from the type locality outside the nature reserve. Due to the vicinity of the local villages, the population is extremely affected by walnut planting. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species is assessed as "Critically Endangered (CR)" (B1ab(iii)+C2a(ii)). ( IUCN 2012)

Note.

Oreocharis fulva is different from the other species in the tetrandrous and yellow-flowered group of Oreocharis s.l. and unique in its expanding corolla lips and narrow and short corolla tubes, with slight similarity to Oreocharis georgei in the morphology and texture of leaves (Fig. 3A-F , Table 2 ). Additionally, the new species and its similar species are respectively distributed in Southwest Yunnan (Lincang District) and Northwest Yunnan (Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Lijiang District) without overlapping geographical distribution (Fig. 1 , Li and Wang 2005).

Figures

Figure 1. The localities of the four new species and the other species of Oreocharis s. l. from SW Yunnan and SE Yunnan in SW China. The districts are shown in Yunnan province, SW China.

Figure 3. Oreocharis fulva W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. (A-F) A habitat B leaf abaxial surface C leaf abaxial surface D flower E open corolla F calyx and ovary; O. lacerata (G-M) G plant H leaf adaxial surface I leaf abaxial surface J lateral view of flower K lateral opened flower L disc and ovary M seeds. Photography by Li Yong-Liang (A, G), Shui Yu-Min (B-G, H, I, L), Chen Li (J-M).

Figure 5. Oreocharis fulva W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. A plant B opened corolla showing stamens and staminode C lateral view of flower D fruit E face view of the corolla, showing the large abaxial limb lobes. (Drawn by Ling Wang from holotype).