Berberis ×baoxingensis X.H.Li, 2015

Li, Xin-Hua, Li, Wen-Hui, Zhang, Li-Cun & Yin, Xiao-Ming, 2015, Berberis × baoxingensis (Berberidaceae), a new putative hybrid from western Sichuan, China, Phytotaxa 227 (1), pp. 25-34 : 31-33

Berberis ×baoxingensis X.H.Li , sp.nov. ( Figs. 2C–D , 3 , 5 )

Diagnosis: This new species resembles B. sanguinea , B. multiovula and B. bicolor Léveillé (1911:454) in the bicolored flowers, but differs from the latters by the subterete verruculose branches and elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves. B. ×baoxingensis also exhibits close affinities with B. verruculosa and B. gagnepaini Schneider (1908:196) , but differs in the bicolored flowers.

Type:— CHINA, Sichuan Province: Baoxing county, Qiaoqi township, elevation 2602 m, 102°41.59′ E, 30°41.24´N, 8 May 2014, X. H. Li, L. C. Zhang & W. H. Li, 140533 (holotype, barcode, NAU 041000, NAU!).

Evergreen shrub to 1.7 m tall. Old twigs grey; 2-year-old branches brownish yellow, subterete, covered with dense, raised columnar lenticels, appeared verrucose. Spines 3-fid, stout, the central spines 0.8–2.8 cm long. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.5–5.1 × 0.3–1.4 cm; the abaxial surface grey green; the adaxial surface lustrous dark green, margins with 1–13 spinescent teeth on each side, somewhat revolute; apex acute, spine-tipped; base cuneate, usually blending into petiole, petiole indistinct; venation indistinct below, inconspicuously reticulate above, the midrib obviously raised below, depressed above. Flowers solitary, or 2–3 flowers fascicled. Pedicels purple, 0.6–1.9 cm. Tepals 12–18, bicolored; the outer 3–6 sepals purplish red or pink, the other sepals and the petals yellow. The outmost 3 sepals ovate, 2.4–5.1 × 1.4–4.0 mm, trinervious to 5-veined, apex acute to obtuse. The innermost 3 sepals broadly obovate, 5.7–8.0 × 4.7–7.5 mm, usually trinervious, with a few lateral veins, the central vein prominent, apex round to obtuse. The 6 petals broadly obovate, 3.5–5.9 × 2.3–5.6 mm, trinervious, with a few lateral veins, the central vein very prominent, apex retuse, 0.2–0.4 mm deep, base cuneate, nectaries elliptic to ovate-elliptic. Stamens 6, 2.8–4.3 mm, connectives truncate to obtuse. Pistil barrel-shaped, 3.7–4.4 mm, style almost absent, stigma peltate. Ovules 2–6. Berries ovate to ovate-elliptical, purple to purplish black, 8.9–11.6× 4.5–6.1 mm; persistent style inconspicuous; stigma disk-like. Seeds 1–4, ovate-elliptical to elliptical, brown to purplish brown, 4.4–5.9 × 2.3–3.4 mm.

Phenology:— Flowering May–June; Fruiting July–December.

Habitat and Distribution: Endemic to Middle-West Sichuan Province, growing in bushes on sunny valleys.

Etymology:— The specific epithet of this new species refers to its type locality in Baoxing county of Sichuan Province, southwestern China.

Selected specimens: B. ×baoxingensis , CHINA. Sichuan Province: Baoxing county, Qiaoqi township , 8 May 2014, X. H. Li, L. C. Zhang & W. H. Li, 140538, 140539 ( NAU!) ; 13 October 2014, X. H. Li, L. C. Zhang & W. H. Li, 141001, 141004, 141008 ( NAU!) .

B. bicolor : CHINA. Guizhou Province: Ma jo, May 1908, Cavalerie 3043 (holotype, barcode, K000077325 , K!; isotype, barcode, A 00038732 , A, Image!) .

B. gagnepaini : CHINA. Hubei Province? July 1903, Wilson 3148 (holotype, barcode, P 00716536 , P, Image!; isotypes, barcode, BM 001015573 , BM!, barcode, K 000077335 , K!) .

B. multiovula : CHINA. Sichuan Province: Baoxing county, Puxi valley, elevation 2900 m, 3 May 1959, Sichuan Economic Plants Expedition, 293 (holotype, barcode, PE 00935173, PE!).

B. sanguinea : CHINA. Sichuan Province: Mupin (Baoxing county), April 1869, David s.n. (holotype, barcode, P 00716571 , P, Image!) ; Baoxing county, Qiaoqi township, Niba valley , X. H. Li, L. C. Zhang & W. H. Li, 140529 ( NAU!) .

B. verruculosa : CHINA. Sichuan Province: Tachien lu (Kangding county), July 1904, Wilson 3150 (holotype, barcode, K000077346 , K!) ; Baoxing county, Qiaoqi township, Niba valley , X. H. Li, L. C. Zhang & W. H. Li, 140536 ( NAU!) .

Herbarium acronyms follow Thiers (2015).

Figures

FIGURE 2. SEM observation of the 2-year-old branches of the three sympatric species of Berberis. A, B, The dense, strongly raised columnar lenticels of B. verruculosa. C, D, The raised, columnar lenticels of B. ×baoxingensis. E, F, The least raised, nearly normal lenticels of B. sanguinea. All bars= 100 μm.

FIGURE 3. Morphological features of Berberis ×baoxingensis. A, Solitary to 3-fascicled, bicolored flowers. B, C, Part of the holotype in the wild, showing the bicolored flower and leaves. D, Ripening fruit, part of the paratype Li et al., 141008. E–G, The outmost 3 purplish red sepals. H–J, The innermost 3 sepals. K, L, Petals, apexes retuse. M, Stamen. N–R, Longitudinal dissection of ovaries, N, 2 ovules, O, 3 ovules, P, 4 ovules, Q, 5 ovules, R, 6 abortive ovules. S, Seed. A–D, bars = 1 cm, E–S, bars = 1 mm. A–D photographed by Xin-Hua Li, E–S by Wen-Hui Li.

FIGURE 5. Holotype of Berberis ×baoxingensis and its living plants in the wild. A, Holotype. B, Part of the holotype in the wild, showing its living individual growing closely adjacent to the bush of B. verruculosa, on 8 May 2014. C, Part of the paratype Li et al., 141008, showing leaves, 2 bicolored flowers and 1 purplish black berry, on 13 October 2014. Abbreviations: BB, B. ×baoxingensis; BV, B. verruculosa; All photographed by Xin-Hua Li.