Clematis guniuensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Eastern China Author Wang, Rong-Bin College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China & Institute of Chinese Medicine Resources, Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China Author Ni, Wei-Yong Administration of Guniujiang National Nature Reserve, Huangshan 245617, Anhui, China Author Xu, Wen-Jing School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China Author Gui, Zheng-Wen Administration of Guniujiang National Nature Reserve, Huangshan 245617, Anhui, China Author Zhou, Shou-Biao College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China & Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, Anhui, China zhoushoubiao@vip.163.com text PhytoKeys 2019 2019-07-23 128 47 55 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.128.33891 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.128.33891 1314-2003-128-47 4518FFDD627FA17BD228636EFF896017 3355837 Clematis guniuensis W.Y.Ni, R.B.Wang & S.B.Zhou sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 3 Diagnosis. Resembles C. florida Thunb. and C. huchouensis Tamura but can be distinguished from the former one by puberulous leaflet blades, longer petiole, larger flowers with light green sepals, longer stamens and white filaments and from the latter by its longer petioles, 3-lobed leaflet blades, shorter pedicel, larger flowers, 4 sepals, filaments about 3-5 times the length of the anther, persistent style 1.5-2 cm long, and yellow plumose. Type . CHINA . Anhui Province : Qimeng County , Guniujiang National Nature Reserve , Huangshan City , 30°0'57.02"N , 117°29'37.17"E , 550 m a.s.l. , 15 May 2018 , flowering, Rong-Bin Wang, WRB201805068 ( holotype : ANUB!; isotypes: AHU!, PE!, WUH!) . Description . Vines herbaceous, perennial; branches inconspicuously longitudinally 6-sulcate to sub-terete, densely primrose yellow puberulous covering when young, becoming glabrescent with age. Root fusiform. Leaves opposite, ternate; peti ole 7-10 cm long; leaflets 3-lobed, ovate to narrowly-ovate; central lobe 6-7.5 x 3.5-4 cm, lateral lobes 4-5 x 2.8-3.5 cm, margin coarsely dentate to entire, apex acuminate or sometimes caudate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, papery, adaxially dark green, densely appressed white pilose, abaxially light green, sparsely puberulous to sub-gla brous , basal veins abaxially slightly prominent; and with petiolule 1-2 cm long. Cymes axillary, 1-flowered; peduncles 3-6 cm long, densely puberulous; bracts opposite, subsessile, ovate, 1.2-1.7 x 5-7 mm, margin entire, both surfaces puberulous. Flowers 6-8 cm diam.; pedicels ca. 2 cm long, conical, sulcate, green, densely puberulous; sepals 4, spreading, light green, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or broad-lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 x 1.8-2.3 cm, apex acute, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely white pubescent, trinerved; stamens numerous, 1-3 cm long, filaments linear, glabrous, about 3-5 times the length of the anthers, anthers narrowly oblong, ca. 6 mm long, white, glabrous, apex shortly apiculate; ovaries ellipsoidal, pubescent, style densely yellow-villose. Achenes dark-brown, strongly compressed, ovate to broadly ellipsoidal, ca. 3 x 1 mm wide, pubescent; persistent style 1.5-2 cm long, yellow-plumose. Figure 1. Clematis guniuensis W.Y.Ni, R.BWang & S.B.Zhou. A Habitat in flowering period B Inflorescences with budding flower, showing the bracts C Stamen D Pistil E Achene F Stem cross-section. Figure 2. Holotype of Clematis guniuensis W.Y.Ni, R.B.Wang & S.B.Zhou. Figure 3. Clematis guniuensis W.Y.Ni, R.B.Wang & S.B.Zhou. A Habitat B Young branches, showing stems 6-grooved, puberulous C Inflorescences, showing style and abaxial surface view of leaf blade D Dorsal view of cymes, showing peduncles and bracts E Frontal view of flower, showing stamens F Fruit G Achenes, showing persistent style. Phenology. Flowering from April to May; fruiting from October to November. Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve. Vernacular name. Gǖ Niǘ Tie Xian Lian (Chinese pronunciation); 牯牛铁线莲 (Chinese name). Distribution and habitat. To date, C. guniuensis is only known from the type locality, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve, Huangshan City, Anhui Province (Fig. 4 ). Currently the species is known from a few collections and there is only one known population with ca. 20 individuals at the type locality. The species is mostly found in tea plantations or forest edges along valleys of evergreen broad-leaved forests, at an elevation of 1,500 m a.s.l. Figure 4. Distribution map of Clematis guniuensis (pentagon, red) and its congeners C. huchouensis (round, violet) and C. florida (square, green). Conservation assessment. Based on the present field investigations, C. guniuensis is currently only known from the type locality and with a very small population size (ca. 20 individuals). The species should be given the IUCN status of Critically Endangered (CR) based on criteria D: "Population size estimated to number fewer than 50 mature individuals" ( IUCN 2016 ). Notes. A morphological comparison between C. guniuensis and morphologically related species, C. florida and C. huchouensis , is provided in Table 1 . A total of 17 species of this genus was found in the Anhui province, with this new species being easily distinguished from the other species in this region by its 3-lobed leaflets, 1-flowered cymes, flowers 6-8 cm diam., sepals 4 and light green and glabrous filaments. Table 1. Diagnostic character differences amongst Clematis guniuensis , C. huchouensis and C. florida .

Characters	Clematis guniuensis	Clematis huchouensis	Clematis florida
Petioles	7-10 cm long	1.7-3 cm long	2-4 cm long
Shape of leaflet blades	3-lobed	2- or 3-lobed or undivided	undivided
Indumentum of leaflet blades	puberulous	puberulous	glabrous
Flower per cyme	1-flowered	1-3-flowered	1-flowered
Size of bracts	1.2-1.7 cm long	2-3 cm long	1.4-3 cm long
Size of pedicels	ca. 2 cm long	1.2-3 cm long	3.7-8.5 cm long
Size of flowers	6-8 cm wide	2-3 cm wide	3.6-5 cm wide
Number of sepals	4	4	6
Colour of sepals	light green	white	white
Size of sepals	3.5-4.5 x 1.8-2.3 cm	1.4-2.2 x 0.3-0.6 cm	2-3 x 1-1.5 cm
Size of anthers	ca. 6 mm long	2.5-3.2 mm long	2.5-3.5 mm long
Filaments	about 3-5 times the length of the anther, white	equal to the length of the anther, white	shorter than anthers, purple
Persistent styles	1.5-2 cm long, yellow plumose	0.8-1.3 cm long, appressed yellowish pubescent	ca. 8 mm long, basally spreading puberulous, apically glabrous