Petrocosmea funingensis Q.Zhang & B.Pan, 2013

Zhang, Qiang, Pan, Bo, Meng, Tao, Li, Guo-Feng, Xu, Wei-Bin & Li, Zhi-Ming, 2013, Petrocosmea funingensis (Gesneriaceae): a new species from southeastern Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 77 (1), pp. 5-8 : 6-7

Petrocosmea funingensis Q.Zhang & B.Pan , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

A new species with leaf blades that are significantly larger than those of all other species in Petrocosmea sect. Anisochilus . Its flowers appear to be associated with the species from series Iodioides sect. Anisochilus because of the fusion (only slightly divided) of the upper lip and is most similar to Petrocosmea huanjiangensis Y.Liu & W.B.Xu in Xu et al. (2011: 385) and P. iodioides Hemsley (1899: 2599) . It is distinguished by the densely lanate filaments that are previously only known from the recently described P. huanjiangensis , but the latter differs in having significant smaller and peltate leaves, constricted anthers, glabrous staminodes, densely pubescent styles and green peduncles etc. The diagnostic characters of the new species and the two morphologically similar taxa are listed comparatively in Table 1.

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Funing County, Tianpeng town . 1 400 m, 10 May 2012, Q . Zhang & B . Pan 1579 (holotype IBK!, isotype PE!) .

Perennial, rosette-forming herbs. Rhizomes 2.0– 5.5 cm long, 1–2 cm thick with fibrous roots. Leaves 5–20 per plant, basal, long-petiolate, papery when dry; petioles cylindrical, 4–12 cm, pubescent; leaf blades ovate to broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, 5–15 × 4–8 cm, adaxially pubescent, abaxially brown glandular and pilose along the veins, bases cordiform, sometimes inequilateral, margins serrate, apices acute; lateral veins 5–8 on each side of the midrib, adaxially impressed, abaxially conspicuous. Cymes variable in number, 2–4 flowers per inflorescence; peduncles 6–10 cm, pilose; bracts 1, narrowly lanceolate, 5–7 mm, margins entire, pubescent; pedicels 1.5–2.5 cm long, pubescent. Calices red to purple, 5-lobed to the base, lobes almost equal in length, lanceolate, ca. 6 × 1 mm, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Corolla blue to purple, 1.2–1.5 cm, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; tube ca. 6.5 mm, two yellow spots at the base inside; upper lip ca. 5 mm, slightly 2-lobed; lower lip ca. 1.0 × 1.2 cm, shallowly 3-lobed, central lobe subrotund, lateral lobes broadly ovate. Stamens 2, ca. 5 mm long, adnate to the corolla tube at the base; filaments linear, geniculate near the middle, 4 mm, densely lanate around the middle; anthers oblong, ca. 3 mm, dorsifixed, glabrous; staminodes 3, linear, ca. 2 mm, thinly pubescent at the middle, adnate ca. 1 mm above the corolla base. Pistil ca. 1.2 cm; ovary ca. 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, pubescent; style ca. 7 mm long, glabrous. Fruit not seen.

Distribution, habitat and ecology: — Petrocosmea funingensis has hitherto only been found from one locality (at the entrance of a limestone cave) in Tianpeng town, Funing County, Yunnan Province, southwest China. The plants grow on the precipice of a limestone cave entrance at an elevation of ca. 1400 m. The place has a subtropical montane climate and is covered with evergreen forest, with a documented annual average temperature 15.6 ˚C, an average precipitation of 1210.6 mm annually and an average humidity of 89%.

Phenology: —The specimens of the new species flower in May.

Etymology: —The epithet is derived from the type locality Funing County, Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Petrocosmea funingensis. A) Habit; B) Corolla opened showing stamens; C) Calyx; D) Pistil; E–F) Stamen. Drawn by Wen-Hong Lin.