Phlomoides rotala (Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Salmaki (2012a: 175)

Zhao, Yue, Lazkov, Georgii A., Turginov, Orzimat T., Salmaki, Yasaman, Zhou, Xin- Xin, Li, Wen-Jun & Xiang, Chun-Lei, 2024, Updated Taxonomy of Chinese Phlomoides: description of three newly recorded species and their systematic placement, Phytotaxa 670 (4), pp. 259-272 : 268

Phlomoides rotala (Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Salmaki (2012a: 175)

≡ Eremostachys rotata Schrenk ex Fischer & Meyer (1843: 11) . ( Fig. 4 )

Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Songaria, Karasu ad Dschussagatsch, May 1840, A. I. Schrenk s.n. (holotype LE!).

Note: — Mathiesen et al. (2011) recombined Phlomis rotata Bentham ex Hooker f. (1885: 694) as Phlomoides rotata (Benth. ex Hook.f.) Mathiesen (2011: 96) . The following year, Salmaki et al. (2012a) transferred Eremostachys to Phlomoides and recombined Eremostachys rotata Schrenk ex Fischer & Meyer as Phlomoides rotala (Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Salmaki since the name Phlomoides rotata is in use. However, they incorrectly cited the basionym as Eremostachys rotala Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A. Mey. Despite this error, the name was still validly published according to Article 41.6 of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants ( Turland et al. 2018).

Description: —Herbs perennial. Roots napiform, crown white lanate-villous. Stems robust, 25–30 cm tall, subquadrangular; densely glandular lanate on nodes, villous, sparsely so on internodes, branched above base. Basal leaves with petioles 6–12 cm long, lamina elliptic to ovate, 10–14 × 7–9 cm, sparsely villous adaxially, densely lanate-villous abaxially, base rounded to cuneate, margin acutely serrate, apex obtuse; stem leaves with petioles 2–5 cm long, lamina ca. 8–12 × 6–8 cm, margin crenate, base rounded. Verticillasters often 6 flowered; floral leaves subsessile, 1–3.5 × 1–4 cm, trullate, obovate or oblanceolate, margin entire or serrate, apex acute to obtuse; bracts subulate, often absent, 0.5–1 cm long, villous. Calyx funnelform, ca. 1.8–2.2 × 0.7–2.2 cm in flower, to 3 × 3 cm in fruit, villous, glandular outside; teeth broadly circular, truncate, less than 2 mm, with apical spines ca. 1 mm. Corolla 3–3.8 cm long; upper lip yellow, ca. 1.5 cm long, falcate, sparsely pilose outside, margin bearded inside; lower lip orange, 3-lobed, ca. 13 mm long, middle lobe obcordate, ca. 10 × 6 mm; lateral lobes ovate, ca. 2 × 3 mm; tube slender, glabrous outside, ca. 1.7–1.8 cm long, annulate pilose inside under stamens. Stamens 4, filaments cobwebby, posterior filaments dilated at base, with appendages comblike-fimbriate at base. Mericarps densely with simple long trichomes.

Phenology: —Flowering from April to May, fruiting from June to July.

Distribution, habitat and ecology: — China and Kazakhstan; new record for China, occurring in Tuoli County and Yumin County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It grows on arid gravelly or sandy Gobi, elev. 1000–1500 m.

Chinese name (assigned here):—Iḛöfi (wú bāo shā suì).

Additional specimen examined:— CHINA. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: Tacheng prefecture, Toli County, Near Tiechanggou Town , 45°56′18.6″ N, 83°35′46.4″ E, elev. 1017 m, 26 May 2023, Y. Zhao & J. F. Xiao XCL2376 ( KIB!) ; Tacheng prefecture, Toli County, Gobi near S318 , 46°11′23.89″ N, 84°30′2.89″ E, elev. 753 m, 4 June 2021, Y. Zhao & J. F. Xiao ZY 008 ( KIB!) ; Tacheng prefecture, Toli County, 45°33′50.60″ N, 82°34′46.5″ E, elev. 1500 m, 20 July 2015, S. C. Fan s.n. ( XJBI100636 !, XJBI100637 !) ; Tacheng prefecture, Yumin County, Ku’ersai , 25 June 1973, Anonymous a177 ( XJBI00032182 !) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Phlomoides rotala. A. habitat. B–C. plant. D. verticillaster. E. calyces. F. bracts. G. dissected calyx. H. appendages at base of posterior filaments. I. dissected flower. J. mericarp. K. floral leaves.