Silene ohwii T.C. Hsu, C.K. Liao & S.W. Chung, 2020

Hsu, Tian-Chuan, Liao, Chun-Kuei, Chung, Shih-Wen & Huang, Wei-Jie, 2020, Silene ohwii (Caryophyllaceae), a replaced name for Melandrium nubigenum, Phytotaxa 432 (3), pp. 296-300 : 296-298

Silene ohwii T.C. Hsu, C.K. Liao & S.W. Chung , nom. nov. pro Melandrium nubigenum Ohwi (1934: 48) ≡ Silene nubigena (Ohwi) Ohwi & Ohashi (1974: 345), nom. illeg., non Philippi (1862: 378).

Type (lectotype, here designated):— TAIWAN. Taichung: “m. Nankotaisan” (Mt. Nanhutashan), 19–20 July 1933, Ohwi 4159 ( KYO 00022077 [digital image!], isolectotypes KYO 00022078 [digital image!], TI 00389 [digital image!]).

– Silene formosamontana in Lee (2004: 89), nom. inval. (Art. 30.9 of the ICN).

Etymology: —The epithet ohwii is honoured to Dr. Jisaburo Ohwi (1905–1977), the Japanese botanist who originally described Melandrium nubigenum .

Distribution: — Silene ohwii is endemic to Taiwan, where it occurs in the northern and central alpine regions at elevations between 3000–3800 m. Lin (2006) reported this species as to be confined to Mt. Nanhu and Mt. Syue but was also found by us slightly southward in Mt. Qilai area during the year 2017.

Typification: —When describing Melandrium nubigenum, Ohwi (1934) indicated a single gathering (“ J. Ohwi n. 4159 ”) but he omitted the name of the herbarium in which the “type” was deposited. We traced two sheets at KYO and one at TI ( Fig. 2 ) all matching the Ohwi’s protologue. According to Art. 9.6 of the ICN, these three extant sheets should all be considered as syntypes and a lectotype must be designated (Art. 9.3) [note that the script “ holotype ” appears on the specimen KYO00022077 ( Fig. 2A ), “ isotype ” on the KYO00022078 ( Fig. 2B ), and “cotype” on the TI00389 ( Fig. 2C )]. We here designate the KYO00022077 as the lectotype of M. nubigenum . The other two specimens are isolectotypes.

Taxonomic remarks: — Silene ohwii is morphologically similar to another Taiwan’s endemic alpine species S. morrisonmontana ( Hayata 1913: 36) Ohwi & H. Ohashi (1974: 345) which, in turn, comprises of two varieties, i.e. var. morrisonmontana and var. glabella ( Ohwi 1934: 47) Ohwi & Ohashi (1974: 345) . According to our field surveys, herbaria observations and the studies by Lee (2004) and Lin (2006), S. ohwii could be readily distinguished from both S. morrisonmontana s.lat. by the following features (see Fig. 1 ): densely pubescent stems, pedicels and calyx (vs. sparsely pubescent in S. morrisonmontana var. morrisonmontana and glabrous in S. morrisonmontana var. glabella ), distinctly smaller flowers (calyx 8–12 mm vs. 14–18 mm; petals 11–14 mm vs. 17–25 mm; androgynophore 1–2 mm vs. 4–7 mm), petal limbs shorter (2–4 mm vs. 7–10 mm), light pinkish (vs. pinkish red in S. morrisonmontana var. morrisonmontana and white in S. morrisonmontana var. glabella ), shallowly cleft (vs. deeply cleft), and slightly smaller capsules (6–9 mm long vs. 8–12 mm long).

Additional specimens examined: — TAIWAN. Hualien County: Sioulin Township, en route from Nanhu pond shelter to S-peak of Nanhutashan , 3450 m, 1 Aug 2006, Huang 2720 ( HAST) ; Mt. Qilai , 3500 m, 16 August 2017, Hsu et al. 9599 ( TAIF) ; Qilai North Peak, 3600 m, 17 August 2017, Hsu et al. 9638 ( TAIF), Tausai , 3000 m, 9 July 1937, Suzuki et al. ST17631 ( TAI) ; Tyuosenzan, 3300 m, 29 July 1936, Fukuyama & Suzuki 15117 ( TAI). Ilan County: Nanao Township , Taosai Peak , 3400 m, Hsu et al. 9506 ( TAIF). Taichung City: Heping District , Chiliehting to Nanhu Lodge, 21 August 1969, Hsu 5987 ( TAI) ; en route from Chungyangchienshan shelter to Chungyangchienshan , 3270 m, 1 August 2006, Huang 2751 ( HAST) ; Mt. Hsueh , 3870 m, 12 Sepember 1986, Lu 19974 ( TAIF) ; Hsuehshan , 3500– 3884 m, 23 August 1995, Yang s.n. ( TAIF) ; Mt. Nanhu , 6 July 2005, 3700 m, Hsu & Chung 341 ( TAIF) ; Mt. Nanhu North Peak , elev. 3500 m, 26 July 2017, Hsu et al. 9467 ( TAIF) ; Mt. Nanko , 28 July 1934, Yashioka s.n. ( TAI) ; Mt. Nankotaizan , 24 July 1922, Sasaki s.n. ( TAI) ; Nanhuchuanku-Nanhutashan-Nanhunanshan-Chungyangchienhsi, 7 July 1986, Wang et al. 3797 ( TAI) ; Nanhu cirque, 3430 m, 6 July 1999, Huang 493 ( HAST) ; Nanhu Wuyenfeng , 3530 m, 30 July 2006, Huang 2651 ( HAST) ; Nanhutashan , 3500 m, 20 August 1983, Lin & Chen 6753 ( TAIF) ; Nanhutashan , 2 August 1989, Lu 1855 ( TAIF) ; Nanhutashan , 3300 m, 18 July 1996, Liu 1003 ( HAST) ; Nankotaizan , 3500 m, 12 July 1937, Suzuki et al. ST17383 ( TAI) ; Nankotaizen , 19 July 1940, Masamune et al. 3024 ( TAI) ; Wuyenfeng, 9 Sepember 2004, Liu 2007 ( TAIF) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphology of Silene ohwii T.C. Hsu, C.K. Liao & S.W. Chung (A–D from Hsu et al. 9467; E–G from Hsu et al. 9638). A. Habit in situ. B. Stem. C. Flower, top view. D. Flower, side view. E. Persistent calyx in fruit. F. Capsule. G. Seeds. Scale bars: A = 5 cm; B & G = 1 mm; C–F = 1 cm. Photographed by T.C. Hsu.

FIGURE 2. Type materials of Silene ohwii.A. Lectotype (KYO00022077). B–C. Isolectotypes (B, KYO00022078; C, TI00389). Courtesy of the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University (http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/).