Saussurea gongriensis Y. S. Chen, 2015

Chen, You-Sheng & Yuan, Qian, 2015, Twenty-six new species of Saussurea (Asteraceae, Cardueae) from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions, Phytotaxa 213 (3), pp. 159-211 : 177-179

10. Saussurea gongriensis Y. S. Chen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 10 )

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Cona County, Gongri Xiang , Rangcun , 27°58 ʹ N, 91°48 ʹ E, on rocks beside forest in valley, 3420 m, 14 August 2013, FLPH Tibet Expedition 13-1160 (holotype PE; isotypes PE) .

Herbs perennial, 4–10 cm tall. Caudex slender, usually branched at ground level, covered with fibrously lacerate remains of petioles. Stems 1–4, simple, erect, 1.2–2 mm in diameter, white arachnoid. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 0.7–2.5 cm long, ca. 1 mm wide, white arachnoid; leaf blade oblong to elliptic, 3.2–6.5 cm long, 0.7–1.6 cm wide, pinnately lobed; lateral lobes 5–8 pairs, semiorbicular, quadrangular, ovate, or subtriangular, margin mucronate-dentate, with 1–3 teeth, 2–8 mm long, 2–9 mm wide, apex acute and mucronate; leaf blade adaxially green, densely glandular scabrid, strigose, abaxially grayish white tomentose; midvein ca. 1 mm wide, narrowly winged. Middle and upper stem leaves 1–3, gradually smaller, shortly petiolate. Capitula solitary, terminal on stem. Involucre broadly campanulate, 1.5–1.8 cm in diameter, 1.7–1.8 cm high. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, white arachnoid pubescent, apex acute to acuminate; outermost phyllaries linear, 9–10 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, apex green, acute, slightly patent or nearly appressed; middle phyllaries lanceolate, 13–15 mm long, 2–2.2 mm wide, apex green, acute, nearly appressed or slightly patent; innermost phyllaries ca. 15 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, apex purple, acuminate and appressed. Receptacle bristles yellowish white, subulate, 2–3 mm long. Corolla purple, ca. 15 mm long, tube 8–8.5 mm long, limb ca. 7 mm long, lobes ca. 3 mm long. Achenes cylindroid, ca. 3 mm long, transversely rugose, glabrous, apex with a short crown. Pappus light brown; outer bristles scabrid, 3–4 mm long; inner bristles 13–15, plumose, 12–13 mm long.

Distribution and habitat:— Saussurea gongriensis occurs in the Cona County, southern Xizang, China. It grows on rocks beside forest in valley at an altitude of ca. 3420 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to September.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is derived from its type locality, Gongri Xiang, a village in Cona County. Chinese name: ŃHṈLẄ.

Discussion:—Our molecular tree has not shown closely related species to S. gongriensis . It is similar to S. leontodontoides ( Candolle 1838: 539) Schultz Bipontinus (1846: 330) in its pinnately lobed leaves, leaf segments quadrangular, ovate, or subtriangular, margin dentate, mucronate toothed, leaf blade abaxially green, densely glandular scabrid, strigose, adaxially grayish white tomentose, achenes transversely rugose and pappus light brown, but differs by its caudex slender (vs. stout), petioles ca. 1 mm wide (vs. 3–5 mm wide), phyllaries white arachnoid pubescent (vs. glabrous), margin green (vs. purple), and innermost phyllaries apex purple (vs. similar to outer ones in color). A comparison of S. gongriensis with related species is given in Table 9.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Saussurea gongriensis. A. Habit. B. Floret. C. Achene. D. Anther. E. Style branches. F. Corolla with style and anthers. G. Outer pappus bristle. H. Inner pappus bristle. I. Phyllaries (from left to right, inner to outer series). J. Leaf section (left, adaxial surface; right, abaxial surface). All from FLPH Tibet Expedition 13-1160 (PE). Drawn by Mrs. Z.J. Chen.