Chamaelirium viridiflorum L. Wang, Z.C. Liu & W.B. Liao, 2018

Liu, Zhong-Cheng, Feng, Lu, Wang, Lei & Liao, Wen-Bo, 2018, Chamaelirium viridiflorum (Melanthiaceae), a new species from Jiangxi, China, Phytotaxa 357 (2), pp. 126-132 : 127-130

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.357.2.5
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E2115941-BC5D-1707-FF4B-FF4AF96FFD6C
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Chamaelirium viridiflorum L. Wang, Z.C. Liu & W.B. Liao
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Chamaelirium viridiflorum L. Wang, Z.C. Liu & W.B. Liao View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 )

Chamaelirium viridiflorum is most similar to C. shiwandashanensis , but differs by its distinctly petiolate leaves; greenish inflorescence rachis; and longer tepals (0.8–1.1 cm).

Type:— CHINA. Jiangxi Province: Chongyi county, Qiyunshan, 25°54 ′ 09 ″ N, 114°01 ′ 02 ″ E, Elev. 1465 m, in the valley of a dense forest, 9 June 2017, Z. C. Liu et al., LXP-13-23537 (holotype SYS!, isotype SYS!).

Description:—Perennial hermaphroditic, rosulate, herb. Rhizome short, with many fibrous roots. Leaves basal, petiolate, leaf blade round to obong-elliptic, evergreen, 1.0–3.1 × 0.8–1.4 cm, glabrous, margin entire or minutely undulate, apex acute or rounded, base rounded to cuneate, parallel-veined. Scape axillary arising from the stem apex, erect, 15–22 cm long, with 7–9 small elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, bract-like leaves. Spike 5–10.5 cm, inflorescence rachis greenish, many flowered, usually elongate after anthesis, without bracts. Flowers actinomorphic, tepals 6, rarely 5, greenish, white at fruit period, filiform 0.8–1.1 cm long, regular. Stamens 6, inserted at base of tepals, 0.8–0.9 mm long, regular; anthers basifixed, oblong-elliptic, extrorse. Styles 3, linear, 0.3 mm long. Capsule sub-obovoid, 2–2.2 × ca 1.1 mm, 3-loculed, triangulate in transverse.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the flowers of this new species that are green throughout the flowering period, differing from those of all other known species.

Phenology:—Flowering April to June and fruiting June to August.

Distribution and ecology:— Chamaelirium viridiflorum is currently known only from Mt. Qiyunshan, southern Jiangxi, China. It occurs in moist bryophyte-dominated habitats or along stream banks on rocks in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest at elevation from 1200 m to 1550 m. The community has not been disturbed by human activities, where the dominant tree species is Machilus pauhoi Kanehira (1930: 8) , Cyclobalanopsis gracilis (Rehder & Wilson 1916: 228) Cheng & Hong (1963: 11) , Stewartia crassifolia ( Yan 1981: 468) Li & Ming (1996: 57) , Rhododendron fortunei Lindley (1859: 868) , R. latoucheae Franchet (1899: 210) , and R. ovatum ( Lindley 1846: 149) Planch. ex Maximowicz (1871: 230) .

Conservation status:— Chamaelirium viridiflorum was documented from only two localities, about 2 km apart from one another. Searches in similar habitats have not been exhaustive, but given the preliminary data this species is rare and the habitat should be protected. Considering IUCN (2017) standards we conclude a data deficient (DD) category.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— CHINA. Jiangxi Province: Chongyi county, Qiyunshan, 1505 m, in the valley of a dense forest, 11 June 2017, Z.C. Liu et al., LXP-13-23500 (SYS!).

Taxonomic relationships:—The specimens of C. viridiflorum collected from the Luoxiao mountains are easily distinguished from the rather widespread C. chinensis by the flowers that are actinomorphic, tepals 6, filiform, and regular (vs. flowers zygomorphic, tepals upper 3 or 4; lower 2 or 3, sometimes absent). Chamaelirium viridiflorum is also similar to C. nanlingensis in their leaf blade shape (round to elliptic), actinomorphic flowers and regular tepals, but differs by the number of tepals 6 (vs. 3, rarely 4), the stamens in one whorls (vs. nearly 2 whorls), the length of filaments equal (vs. unequal). It is also morphologically similar to C. koidzumiana in sharing slender petiole and filiform tepals, but differs by the flowers that are actinomorphic (vs. zygomorphic), tepals regular (vs. unregular). Chamaelirium viridiflorum is most similar to C. shiwandashanensis concerning the greenish inflorescence rachis, actinomorphic flowers and regular tepals, but differs by leaf blade base round to cuneate (vs. rapidly narrowed and longly decurrent), petiole 0.6–3.8 cm long (vs. more or less sessile or lamina nearly cuneate to the base), and tepals 0.8–1.1 cm long (vs. 0.6–0.8 cm long). These differences are also shown in Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 .