Saturday, March 10, 2018

[Botany • 2018] Primulina malipoensis • A New Species (Gesneriaceae) from Sino-Vietnamese Border Area


Primulina malipoensis  L.H. Yang & M. Kang

 P. maguanensis (Z. Yu Li, H. Jiang & H. Xu) Mich. Möller & A. Weber
P. lungzhouensis  (W.T. Wang) Mich. Möller & A. Weber

in Yang, Chen, Wen & Kang, 2018. 

Abstract
Primulina malipoensis, a new species from limestone areas around the Sino-Vietnamese border, is described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar to P. maguanensis and P. lungzhouensis, but obviously differs from the latter two species by its pale greenish-yellow flowers (vs. purple, with different colour patterns). The phylogenetic affinity, illustration and photographs of this new species are provided in this paper.

Keywords: Limestone flora, New taxon, Sino-Vietnamese border area, Taxonomy




Primulina malipoensis L.H. Yang & M. Kang, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Primulina malipoensis mainly differs from P. maguanensis and P. lungzhouensis by its pale greenish-yellow flowers (vs. purple, with different colour patterns). This new species can further be distinguished from P. maguanensis by its greenish bracts (vs. white) and from P. lungzhouensis by its entire bracts margin (vs. denticulate).


Figure 2. Primulina malipoensis.
A flowering plant cultivated in South China Botanical Garden B plant in natural habitat C flower in side view D opened corolla, showing stamens and staminodes E flower in front view F pistil and calyx G bracts.
Photographs by Li-Hua Yang. 

Figure 3. Primulina maguanensis (A, B), P. lungzhouensis (D, E),
  P. beiliuensis var. fimbribracteata (C, F), P. beiliuensis var. beiliuensis (G, H) and P. maculata (I, J).
(A, C, D, G, J) habit, (B, E, F, H, I) flower.
Photographs by Fang Wen (A–H) and Li-Hua Yang (I, J). 

Distribution and habitat: Primulina malipoensis is a narrowly endemic species restricted to a small area at both sides of the Sino-Vietnamese border (Xiajinchang Town, Malipo County, Yunnan Province, China. Khau La Village, Quyet Tien Community, Quan Ba District, Ha Qiang province, Vietnam.) (Figure 4). It grows on moist and shady limestone rocks, at ca. 1000–1500 m altitude.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the place, Malipo County in Yunnan province, China, where the new species was first found.

Note: Primulina malipoensis (Figures 1 and 2) can be morphologically connected to P. maguanensis (Z. Yu Li, H. Jiang & H. Xu) Mich. Möller & A. Weber (Figure 3A–B) and P. lungzhouensis (W.T. Wang) Mich. Möller & A. Weber (Figure 3D–E) by its ovate or broadly elliptic leaf blade, with inconspicuously (or conspicuously) serrate margin, obvious bracts, white calyx lobes and infundibuliform corolla tube. However, it can easily be distinguished from the latter two species by the characters summarised in the diagnosis.
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 Li-Hua Yang, Jun-Lin Chen, Fang Wen and Ming Kang. 2018. Primulina malipoensis (Gesneriaceae), A New Species from Sino-Vietnamese Border Area.  In: Jin X-H, Shui Y-M, Tan Y-H, Kang M (Eds) Plant Diversity in Southeast Asia. PhytoKeys. 94: 107-116.  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.94.20861