Oreocharis lacerata W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui, 2019

Chen, Wen-Hong, Zhang, Ya-Mei, He, De-Ming, Li, Yong-Liang & Shui, Yu-Min, 2019, Four new species of Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae) in Yunnan province, China, PhytoKeys 157, pp. 83-99 : 83

Oreocharis lacerata W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui sp. nov. Fig. 6

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Oreocharis concava (Craib) Mich. Möller & A.Weber, but different in leaf margin lacerate (vs. unlobed), corolla strigose or glandular outside (vs. glabrous), abaxial lip much larger than the adaxial corolla lip (vs. nearly equal).

Type.

CHINA. Yunnan Province: Lincang district, Yongde county, Womulong xiang, Ganhe village, Daliang Mt., on rocks along slope, alt. 2700 m, riverside, rare, 5 August 2003, Zi S. S. 208 (holotype, KUN; isotype, PE).

Description.

Herbs perennial, stemless, rhizomatous. Leaves basal. Petiole 4-6 cm, covered with long golden multi-articulate hairs; leaf blade broadly lanceolate or elliptic, 3-4 × 2-2.5 cm, adaxially sparely puberulent, abaxially setal and with long golden multi-articulate hairs on ribs, base cordate, margin lacerate, lobes oblong and serrate, apex obtuse; lateral veins 3-4 pairs on each side of midrib. Inflorescences axillary, with many flowers. Peduncles 8-10 cm, golden-brown villous; bracts 2, ovate, ca. 2 × 1 cm. Calyx ca. 0.5 cm, 5-sect from middle, lobes triangular, 0.1-0.2 × ca. 0.15 cm, glabrous, apex acute, margin crenate. Corolla yellow, campanulate-cylindrical, 2.3-2.4 cm long, outside sparely multi-articulate strigose, inside glabrous; tube 1.8-1.9 cm long, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. at base and ca. 5 mm in diam. at throat, inflated above the middle; limb 2-lipped, adaxial lip 2-lobed, lobes semi-rounded, 3.1-3.4 × 0.3-3.2 mm, apex obtuse; abaxial lip explanate and 3-lobed, middle lobes oblong, 5-6 × 2.0-2.6 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse. Stamens 4, coherent in 2 pairs, included, adaxial stamens ca. 1.2 cm, adnate at the throat of corolla, abaxial stamens ca. 1.7 cm, adnate to corolla tube ca. 1.2 cm from base; filaments white, glabrous; anthers ca. 0.1 cm, oblong, basifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; staminode 1, ca. 0.1 cm long. Pistil included, ca. 1.2 cm long, glabrous; ovary columned, glabrous, ca. 0.7 cm long, 2-loculed; style glabrous, ca. 0.2 cm; stigma 1, undivided, oblate; disc ring-like, ca. 0.15 cm high, margin dentate. Capsule straight, oblong, 2-3.8 cm long, existing style ca. 0.2 cm. Seeds ovate, 0.6-0.63 × 0.21-0.24 mm.

Distribution, habitat and phenology.

This species is distributed in Yongde county, Yunnan Province, SW China. Flowering is August and fruiting is September-November.

Etymology.

The species is named after the lacerate leaves.

Conservation status.

The new species has been observed only from the type locality. The preliminary observation revealed that there are 300 mature individuals and ca. 600 m2 (20 m × 30 m) area nearby the summit in the core area of the nature reserve, almost never to be affected by the activity of the local people. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species is hereby assessed as "Vulnerable (VU)"(D). ( IUCN 2012)

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

CHINA. Yunnan province: Lincang district, Yongde county, Wumulong community, Ganhe village, Daliang Mt., 99°38'58"E, 24°08'56"N, on rocks in shrubs, elev. 2,902 m, flowers yellow, common, 11 August 2003, in flower, Zi S.S. 261 (KUN, PE); the same locality, elev. 2,900 m, rare,16 September 2013, Li Yong-Liang YDDXS 1137 (KUN).

Note.

Oreocharis lacerata is more similar to O. concava in the morphology of flowers than other species in the group with tetrandrous and yellow flowers, but differs mainly in the lacerate leaf margin (vs. unlobed) and obviously longer inferior lip of corolla than the superior lip (vs. equal between the two lips of corolla) (Fig. 3G-M , Table 3 ). With its pinnatilobate leaves, the new species is slightly more similar to Oreocharis eximium in the yellow-flowered group in Oreocharis and to O. pinnatilobata (K.Y.Pan) Mich. Möller & A.Weber in the purple-flowered group, but differs considerably in the morphology of flowers and fruits ( Wang et al. 1990, 1998, Li 1991, Li and Wang 2005, Möller et al. 2011).

Figures

Figure 3. Oreocharis fulva W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. (A-F) A habitat B leaf abaxial surface C leaf abaxial surface D flower E open corolla F calyx and ovary; O. lacerata (G-M) G plant H leaf adaxial surface I leaf abaxial surface J lateral view of flower K lateral opened flower L disc and ovary M seeds. Photography by Li Yong-Liang (A, G), Shui Yu-Min (B-G, H, I, L), Chen Li (J-M).

Figure 6. Oreocharis lacerata W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui, sp. nov. A plant B flower C opened corolla showing stamens D fruit E abaxially leaf blade F pistil showing calyx, ovary, stigma and disc. (Drawn by Ling Wang from holotype).