Salix spathulifolia var. glabra C. Wang & C.F. Fang ex T.Y. Ding

He, Li & Chen, Shi-Pin, 2017, Identity of Salix chingiana (Salicaceae) from China, Phytotaxa 323 (1), pp. 97-100 : 97-98

Salix spathulifolia var. glabra C. Wang & C.F. Fang ex T.Y. Ding in Zhou & Huang (1997: 506)

Type: — CHINA. Qinghai: Ledu, Yaocaotai Forestry Centre, 3000 m, 21 July 1986, Y. H. Wu et al. 3241 ( HNWP 133744!, ♀).—For image of type, see Fig. 1A .

= Salix chingiana K.S. Hao ex C.F. Fang & A.K. Skvortsov (1998: 468) , syn. nov. — S. chingiana K.S. Hao (1936: 86) , nom. inval. Type:— CHINA. Gansu: Lan Ze Cheon Kou, near Sining (Huzhu County, Walker 1941), 2650–3100 m, 23 July 1923, R. C. Ching 584 (holotype A 00031161!; isotypes B 100279751!, S-G- 9479!, US 00105071!; ♀).—For image of holotype, see Fig. 1B .

Shrubs or small trees, 1.8–2.8 (7) m. Branches greenish brown, glabrous; branchlets brownish red or yellow-green, glabrous. Buds glabrous. Petiole 0.8–1.3 cm, adaxially pubescent, with glands distally; leaf blade elliptic-oblanceolate, narrowly oblong, elliptic, or oblong, 5.6–10.3 × 1.5–4.3 cm, abaxially greenish, at first villous, glabrescent, adaxially dark green, slightly wrinkled (mature leaves), glabrescent, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margin irregularly serrulate, rarely subentire, apex acute or sharply obtuse; veins raised abaxially. Male catkin and male flower unknown. Female catkin 2.6–5.2 cm; peduncle 0.6–2.2 cm, with 2–5 leaflets; flora bract broadly elliptic or obovate, 1.5–3 mm, abaxially downy proximally, ciliate, adaxially glabrous or pilose at base, apex rounded-truncate, entire or erose. Female flower: gland adaxial, ovate, abaxial gland present or absent; ovary ovoid, glabrous, subsessile; styles slender, 2-parted, twisted, 0.9–1.5 mm; stigmas 2- cleft. Capsules ovoid-oblong, glabrous, sessile or shortly stipitate.

Phenology:—Fruiting in July.

Habitat:—Mountain slopes and riversides, thickets; 2650–3100 m.

Distribution:—Eastern Qinghai.

Note: —Our herbarium and literature research revealed that the majority of specimens labeled as Salix chingiana in HNWP, IBSC, NAS, and WUK belong to S. rosthornii . As such, the identification of S. chingiana ( Fang et al. 1999) as S. rosthornii has proven to be a mistake. S. chingiana differs from S. rosthornii by its sessile or shortly stipitate ovary, slender styles, and leaves with irregularly serrulate or entire margin ( Table 1).

Type specimens of both taxa, S. chingiana and S. spathulifolia var. glabra , are from Haidong, Qinghai. We did not find relevant differences between these specimens and came to the conclusion that these names represent the same taxon ( Table 1). Therefore, we considered S. chingiana as a synonym of S. spathulifolia var. glabra . S. spathulifolia var. glabra differs from S. spathulifolia var. spathulifolia only by its glabrous ovary.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type specimens of Salix spathulifolia var. glabra, S. chingiana, S. rosthornii, and S. glandulosa var. stenophylla. A. Type of S. spathulifolia var. glabra (Y.H. Wu et al. 3241, HNWP 133744, available at http://www.cfh.ac.cn/nsii/vm/qtpmb/ specimenphotos/1337/133744.jpg), a1. female flowers (HNWP 133744); B. Holotype of S. chingiana (R.C. Ching 584, A 00031161, available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/huhwebimages/D24AC4BABDA4484/ type/full/31161.jpg); C. Type of S. rosthornii (Ch. Bock & A. v. Rosthorn 1512, A 00031206, available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/huhwebimages/ E72CA2DDD318417/type/full/31206.jpg). D. Lectotype of S. glandulosa var. stenophylla (J.Q. Xing 1850, WUK 119558), d1. female flower (WUK 119558).