Saussurea pseudoplatyphyllaria 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 : 173-176

8. Saussurea pseudoplatyphyllaria Y. S. Chen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 8 )

Type:— CHINA. Sichuan: Muli County, on the road from Wachang to Ninglang , Heihaizi , thicket slopes, 4000 m, 24 September 1983, Qinghai-Xizang Expedition 14253 (holotype PE00455011 ; isotypes KUN0730945 , PE00393775 ) .

Herbs perennial, 3–7 cm tall. Stem solitary, simple, nearly acaulescent.Leaves all basal, rosulate; leaf blade oblanceolate or elliptic, base narrowly attenuate and sheathed, apex obtuse, margin slightly repand dentate and densely ciliate, 4–13 cm long, 1.3–4.5 cm wide, adaxially green, glandular scabrid, abaxially sparsely white villous along veins. Capitula solitary, subsessile, completely hidden in the rosette. Involucre broadly campanulate, 2–3.5 cm in diameter, 2–3 cm high. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, sparsely villous, apex acute to acuminate; outer phyllaries purple, triangular-lanceolate, 20–25 mm long, 5–6 mm wide; middle phyllaries oblong-lanceolate, inner phyllaries narrowly linear, 22–26 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide, margin and apex purple, apex acuminate. Receptacle naked. Corolla purple, 17–18 mm long, tube 11–12 mm long, limb ca. 6.5 mm long, lobes ca. 4 mm long, linear. Anthers black, 8–9 mm long including tails; tails white, lacerate, ca. 1 mm long. Achenes cylindroid, black, ribbed, ca. 8.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, glabrous. Pappus grayish white; outer bristles scabrid, 1–2 mm long; inner bristles plumose, 14–15 mm long.

Distribution and habitat:— Saussurea pseudoplatyphyllaria is currently known only from Muli County, southwestern Sichuan. It grows in thicket slopes or limestone slopes at altitudes of 4000–4300 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from September to October.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is derived from the name of its similar species, S. platyphyllaria Ludlow (1956: 73) . Chinese name: LJĒÜṈLẄ.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— CHINA. Sichuan: Muli County, S. G. Wu 2711 ( KUN, PE) ; Muli County, Shuiluo Xiang, Xiling Shan , limestone slopes, 4000–4300 m, 1 October 1959, S. G. Wu 3399 ( CDBI, KUN, PE) .

Discussion:— Saussurea pseudoplatyphyllaria belongs to S. subgen. Saussurea sect. Gymnocline because of its habit nearly stemless, leaves nearly entire and capitula solitary. No species are shown to be closely related to S. platyphyllaria in our molecular tree. It is similar to S. platyphyllaria in general appearance, the shape and margin of leaves, the size of capitula, and phyllaries sparsely villous, but differs by its receptacle naked (vs. bristles 3–4 mm long), phyllaries all lanceolate, narrower and longer, apex acute to acuminate (vs. outer phyllaries ovate or narrowly ovate, apex acute, middle phyllaries lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, inner phyllaries narrowly linear), achenes ca. 8.5 mm long (vs. ca. 2.5 mm long), and outer pappus scabrid and 1–2 mm long (vs. plumose and 9–11 mm long), Geographically, S. pseudoplatyphyllaria is currently known only from Muli County, Sichuan Province, China, whereas S. platyphyllaria occurs in western and central Nepal.

Specimens of S. pseudoplatyphyllaria were previously misidentified as S. woodiana Hemsley (1892: 312) and S. hieracioides Hooker (1881: 371) and S. superba Anthony (1934: 212) . It is similar to S. woodiana in its rosulate habit, leaf shape, and capitulum size, but differs by its leaves abaxially sparsely white villous along veins (vs. densely tomentose), margin repand dentate (vs. entire), phyllary apex acute to acuminate (vs. long acuminate), receptacle naked (vs. bristles 3–5 mm long), corolla purple and 17–18 mm long (vs. purple or white, 28–32 mm long), achenes ca. 8.5 mm long (vs. ca. 4 mm long), and inner pappus 14–15 mm long (ca. 22 mm long). It is also similar to S. superba in its rosulate habit, leaf shape, and capitulum solitary and size, but differs by its leaves abaxially sparsely white villous along veins (vs. subglabrous), margin repand dentate (vs. entire or inconspicuously denticulate), phyllary apex acute to acuminate (vs. long acuminate), receptacle naked (vs. bristles ca. 3 mm long), corolla 17–18 mm long (vs. 18–26 mm long), and achenes ca. 8.5 mm long (vs. 3–4 mm long). A comparison of S. pseudoplatyphyllaria with related species is given in Table 7.

Figure 9. Saussurea yui . A. Habit. B. Pappus. C. Achene. D. Anther. E. Corolla with style and anthers. F. Phyllaries (from left to right, inner to outer series). All from T. T. Yu 14673 (PE). Drawn by Mrs. P. Liu.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Saussurea pseudoplatyphyllaria. A. Habit. B. Inner pappus bristle. C. Style branches. D. Anthers. E. Floret (with pappus removed). F. Phyllaries (from left to right, inner to outer series). G. Floret. H. Achene.All from S. G. Wu 3399 (KUN). Drawn by Mr. Y.X. Zhu.