Asparagus dabieshanensis Jia X. Yang, G. W. Hu & Q. F. Wang

Yang, Jia-Xin, Zhu, Xin-Xin, Jia, Nan, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2024, Asparagus dabieshanensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Dabie Mountains, Central China, Phytotaxa 641 (2), pp. 161-169 : 164-167

Asparagus dabieshanensis Jia X. Yang, G. W. Hu & Q. F. Wang sp. nov. ( Figure 2 , 3 )

Type: — CHINA. Anhui: Qianshan County, under or at the edge of sparse mixed forest of Liquidambar formosana Hance and Phyllostachys edulis (Carriere) J. Houzeau , 116°31′51.96″E, 30°46′25.27″N, 177.51 m in elevation, 6 May 2023, Jia-Xin Yang, Hai-Xia Xu, Tao-Hua Yuan & Zhun Xu DBS01886 (holotype HIB HIB0247931 ; isotypes HIB HIB0247932 , HIB0247933 )

Description: —Perennial herbs, dioecious, glabrous. Roots with swollen, tuberous part 1.5–4.0 cm × 0.5–1.2 cm. Stems 2–3 mm thick, slightly woody proximally; stems climbing to twining, rarely suberect, 1–1.7 m long, between distance of the branches 1.5–4.5 cm, between distance of the fascicle 0.5–3.5 cm; branches angled or narrowly winged. Cladodes 1–3 per fascicle, linear, straight, 1.4–16.4 cm × 1.0–3.0 mm, flat, midvein distinct. Leaf scales triangular, spurred, 2.0–5.0 mm × 1.0–3.0 mm long; leaf spur woody, spinose, 1–4 mm on main stems, minute or indistinct on branches. Inflorescences developing after cladodes, flowers axillary or in clusters of 2 or 4; absent articulate pedicel, 1–1.6 mm long. Tepals 6, 2.0– 4.2 mm × 2.0– 3.2 mm, margin entire. Male flowers: perianth yellowish green, campanulate. Stamens 6, filaments free, 2.5–3.5 mm long. Fruit a berry, 5.0– 5.3 mm in diam., glabrous, 2- or 3-seeded, black when ripe. Flowering: March–April, fruiting: May–November.

Ecology and related species: — Asparagus dabieshanensis was discovered in Dabie Mountains of Hubei and Anhui, Central China; under or at the edge of a sparse mixed forest of Liquidambar formosana Hance and Phyllostachys edulis (Carriere) J. Houzeau. Vitex negundo var. cannabifolia (Sieb.et Zucc.) Hand. -Mazz., Lindera glauca (Siebold & Zucc.) Blume and Loropetalum chinense (R. Br.) Oliver were constantly found growing together with the new species. This new species is similar to A. cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. and A. filicinus D. Don , but it has long and straight cladodes, shorter pedicel than that of the last two species ( Table 1 ). Moreover, this new species lacks articulation on the entire pedicel.

Distribution: —The species is currently known only from three sites ( Figure 4 ): one is in the Anhui province and the other two sites are in the Hubei province. The three localities belong to the Dabie Mountains range.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “dabieshanensis ” refers to its distribution the Dabie Mountains, because the new species is endemic to Dabie Mountains.

Additional specimens examined: — Asparagus dabieshanensis : CHINA. Hubei: Huangmei County, 115°52′42.80″E, 30°10′56.33″N, elev. 278 m, 17 June 2023, Jia-Xin Yang, Hai-Xia Xu & Tao-Hua Yuan DBS02456 (HIB HIB0247934) (paratype). CHINA. Hubei: Wuxue City, 115°43′37.98″E, 30°7′50.90″N, elev. 229 m, 18 June 2023, Jia-Xin Yang, Hai-Xia Xu & Tao-Hua Yuan DBS02509 (HIB HIB0247935) (paratype).

Asparagus filicinus : CHINA. Anhui: Yuexi County, 116°6′45″E, 31°3′33″N, elev. 613, 17 May 2021. Si-Yu Zhang, Jia-Jia Wang, Yi Wang, & Jian-Wen, Shao ZSY0453 ( HIB0224296 , HIB0224296 ) ; CHINA. Sichuna : Pingwu County, 104°41′07″E, 32°30′53″N, elev. 229 m, 16 Jun 2014. Shu-Ren Zhang, Shu-Rong Chen & Xiao-An Lang 2036 ( PE 01918890 ) .

Asparagus cochinchinensi s: CHINA. Hubei: Yingshan County, 115°48′1″E, 31°5′23″N, elev. 245 m, 21 June 2022, Hong-Jin Dong & Jiao-Jun Yu HJD2157 ( HIB: HIB0239860 , HIB0239844 , HIB0243229 , HIB0243230 ) ; CHINA. Henan: Shangcheng County, 115°18′16″E, 31°52′19″N, elev. 110 m, 12 July 2021, Xiu-Zhen Cai, Jun Li & Hui-Juan Shu CXZ384 ( HIB: HIB0215164 , HIB0215165 , HIB0215383 , HIB0215384 ) ; CHINA. Fujian: Wuyishan City , 117°57′56.71″E, 27°39′9.84″N, elev. 323 m, 2 May 2023, Jia-Xin Yang YJX0865 ( HIB: HIB0244901 , HIB0244902 , HIB0244903 ) .

Note: —According to Flora of China and Chinese Virtual Herbarium (CVH, https://www.cvh.ac.cn/index.php), we list the distribution provinces of Asparagus filicinus and A. cochinchinensi s ( Figure 4 ). There are some populations of Asparagus filicinus and A. cochinchinensi s in the Dabie Mountains and relevant specimens are verified in this work (as mentioned above: ZSY0453, HJD2157, CXZ384). However, A. dabieshanensis are restricted to the Dabie Mountains of Hubei and Anhui.

Preliminary conservation assessment: —Three populations with approximately 150 individuals were discovered to date in Dabie Mountains, and the geographic range of each population is less than 1 km 2. On basis of our investigation, the number of mature individuals is less than 50. Known habitats of Asparagus dabieshanensis are outside the nature reserve in the Dabie Mountains, and the fragmentation of habitat is apparent in these distribution areas. Asparagus dabieshanensis is tentatively assigned to Vulnerable (VU) according to the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria IUCN, 2022)(https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/ redlistguidelines).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photographs of Asparagus dabieshanensis (A) Individual; (B) Habit; (C) Main stem; (D) Front view of the male flower; (E) Lateral view of the male flower; (F) Branch; (G) Seeds; (H) Cladodes; (I) Rhizome. Photographs A, D, E and H by Xin-Xin Zhu, others by Jia-Xin Yang.

FIGURE 3. Illustrations of Asparagus dabieshanensis (A) Habit; (B) Main Stem, a: leaf scale; b: leaf spur; (C) Fruit; (D) Rhizome; (E) Main Stem, d: cladode; (F) Front view of the male flower, c: perianth; (G) Lateral view of the male flower, e: pedicel. Drawn by Nan Jia.

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Asparagus dabieshanensis (red circle), A. cochinchinensis (red square), and A. filicinus (red pentacle). (A): Known geographic distribution of A. dabieshanensis, A. cochinchinensis, and A. filicinus in China, and these red markers just show the distribution provinces rather than detailed site; (B): Distribution site of A. dabieshanensis in the Dabie Mountains, China.