Primulina glandaceistriata X.X.Zhu, F.Wen & H.Sun, 2014

Zhu, Xin-Xin, Wen, Fang & Sun, Hang, 2014, Primulina glandaceistriata (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, Phytotaxa 188 (1), pp. 49-54 : 49-52

Primulina glandaceistriata X.X.Zhu, F.Wen & H.Sun , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 & Fig. 2)

Primulina glandaceistriata is similar to P. dryas in its leaf shape, and to P. beiliuensis in corolla shape, but differing from these by its leaf blades oval, ovate or nearly rounded, and both surface sparsely purple strigulose with papillose base; shorter peduncle 7.5–9.5 cm long with densely erectly purple pilose; bracts inside densely erectly purple pilose; corolla pale purple to purple, inside sparsely purple spots and two obviously brown stripes, outside piloglandulose, inside glabrous; staminodes longer, ca. 7.5 mm long.

Type: — CHINA. Guangxi: Lingchuan County, Dajing Town, Longgongdong , in crevice on damp rock face of sandstone slope, 23 May 2010, Zhu & Wen 100523-1 (Holotype: KUN; Isotype: IBK) .

Figure 2. Primulina glandaceistriata . A. Habitat. B. Plant with cymes and bracts. C. Plant with flowers. D. Overhead view of cymes and flowers. E. Opened corolla for showing stamens and staminodes. F. Pistil and calyx. G. Adaxially and abaxially calyx lobes. H. Disc. I. Stigma.

Perennial herbs, acaulescent; rhizomes terete, 1–4 cm long, 5–8 mm in diam. Leaves 6–8, basal, petiolate, coriaceous or slightly carnosus; petiole flatted, cross-section “V” shape, 2–4 cm long or longer, 4.5–5.5 mm in diam., strigose; blades dark green, usually veins silvery, oval, ovate or nearly orbicular, 6.5–9.5 × 5–7 cm, sparsely purple strigulose with papillose base on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to shallowly cordate, margin entire or inconspicuously crenate, ciliate, apex obtuse or nearly rounded; lateral veins adaxially sinking, abaxially conspicuously prominent, 3–4 on each side. Cymes 2–4 or more, axillary, usually 2–branched, 4–10-flowered; peduncle 7.5–9.5 cm long, ca. 3.3 mm in diam., densely erectly purple pilose, hairs 2–3 mm long; bracts 2, opposite, reddish purple, ovate to nearly rhombus or broadly cymbiform, 2.5–4.5 × 2.0– 3.5 cm, usually withered at blooming time, margins entire, apex obtuse, abaxially densely erectly purple pilose, hairs 1.5–2 mm long; pedicel ca. 13 mm long, with glandular hairs and hairs ca. 0.5 mm long. Calyx 5-parted to near base, lobes broadly lanceolate to trianglular, each slightly different in size, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide at base, apex acute or obtuse, outside sparsely pubescent, inside nearly glabrous, margins entire or 2–3-serrate. Corolla ca. 5.0 cm long, pale purple to purple, inside with sparse purple spots and two obvious brown stripes, outside piloglandulose, inside glabrous; corolla tube 2.0– 2.7 cm long, ca. 1.5 cm in diam. at the mouth, ca. 0.5 cm in diam. at the base; limb distinctly 2-lipped, color same as corolla; adaxial lip 2-parted to the middle, apex obtuse or rounded, 7–8 × ca. 10 mm, left and right ones slightly unequal in size; abaxial 3-lobed to over the middle, the central lobes oblong, apex truncate, ca. 9 × 6–7 mm, and two lateral ones usually obliquely oblong, apex rounded, 8.5–9 × ca. 6 mm; stamens 2, adnate to ca. 15 mm above the corolla tube base; filaments linear, ca. 13 mm long, with sparse glandularia; anthers ca. 4.0 mm long, dorsifixed, sparsely bearded; staminodes 2, ca. 7.5 mm long, bent or curly, apex capitate or with degenerated anther, glabrous, adnate to ca. 10 mm above the corolla tube base. Disc annular, higher side ca. 1.1 mm in height, lower side ca. 0.6 mm in height, margin repand, glabrous. Pistil 3–3.2 cm long, ovary narrowly linear, ca. 1.6 cm long, ca. 1 mm across, densely puberulent and glandular pubescent; style ca. 1.4 cm long, puberulent; stigma obtrapeziform, ca. 2.5 mm long, ca. 1.8 mm wide, apex 2-lobed. Capsule narrowly ellipsoidal, ca. 4.5 cm long, ca. 3 mm across, pubescent.

Distribution and habitat: — Primulina glandaceistriata is known only from the type locality, Haiyang Mountain, Dajing Town, Lingchuan County, Guangxi, China. Only one population was observed, with all individuals growing on the damp surface of a sandstone slope at ca. 450 m altitude.

Conservation Red List Category: —All plants of Primulina glandaceistriata , no more than 200 individuals, are clustered together in a fairly narrow range in a sandstone slope of hill near a local village. We propose that it should be provisionally considered as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR, B2a + E) according to the IUCN red list criteria (IUCN 2001).

Phenology:—The new species was observed on flowering in late of May and early June.

Etymology:—The corolla of this new species with two brown stripes on the interior is very different to as the vast majority of species of Primulina as these have two yellow stripes on the corolla inner surface. Thus, the specific epithet is derived from two special color of stripes in its corolla.

Vernacular name:— CHINA: He Wen Bao Chun Ju Tai.

Morphological relationships:— Primulina glandaceistriata has some morphological similarity to Primulina dryas (Dunn) Möller & Weber (2011: 782) and P. beiliuensis Pan & Huang (2013: 594) , but differs from these two species in its smaller petiole size (2–4 cm × 4.5–5.5 mm); leaf blade oval, ovate or nearly orbicular and blade texture coriaceous or slightly carnose; shorter peduncle (7.5–9.5 cm long) with densely erectly purple pilose hairs; adaxial bracts with densely erectly purple pilose hairs; larger corolla (ca. 5.0 cm long), outside piloglandulose, inside sparsely purple spots and two obviously brown stripes and glabrous; filaments with sparse glandularia; and longer staminodes (ca. 7.5 mm long). The morphological comparison is shown in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Primulina glandaceistriata. A. Growth habit. B. Opened corolla showing stamens and staminodes. C. Overhead view of pistil. D. Stigma. E. Calyx lobes.