A new species of Chrysosplenium (Saxifragaceae) from Zhangjiajie, Hunan, central China Author Liu, Hong College of Life Sciences & Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of Hubei Province, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, Hubei Province, China. Author Luo, Jin-Long The Dendrological Teaching and Research Team, School of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan Province, China. Author Liu, Qiu-Yu College of Life Sciences & Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of Hubei Province, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, Hubei Province, China. Author Lan, De-Qing College of Life Sciences & Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of Hubei Province, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, Hubei Province, China. Author Qin, Rui College of Life Sciences & Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of Hubei Province, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, Hubei Province, China. 3032307@mail.scuec.edu.cn Author Yu, Xun-Lin The Dendrological Teaching and Research Team, School of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan Province, China. 3032307@mail.scuec.edu.cn text Phytotaxa 2016 2016-09-29 277 3 287 292 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.277.3.7 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.277.3.7 1179-3163 13653221 Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense X. L. Yu, Hui Zhou & D. S. Zhou , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 ) Type : China . Hunan : Zhangjiajie City, Wulingyuan District , Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Shuiraosimen, ca. 890 m , beside the moist rock, 17 April 2015 , H . Zhou & D. S . Zhou 15041709 ( holotype , CSFI !; isotypes , CSFI !).Herbs perennial, 13–19 cm tall, white-colored 3–5 mm villus in the whole plant. Stolons, sterile branches 5.0–25.0 cm long, repent, leaves 4–8, alternate ; Basal leaves 3–5, fleshy, obovate, blade longer than broad, 52–105 × 37–65 mm , base cuneate, apex rounded, margin with 15–20 undulate-crenulate lobes on each side, symmetrical, adaxial surface dark green or reddish brown, obvious raised wart points on adaxial surface, abaxial surface paler color, veins bulge, petiole 10–20 mm . Cauline leaves 1, petiole 7–10 mm , blades oval to circular, 3–5 × 4–6 mm , base cuneate, apex rounded, margin 10–14 crenulate lobes, glabrous in both surface and sparsely hair in petiole. Flowering stems 1, erect, 13–15 cm long; bracteal leaves with petiole 3–12 mm , leaf blade oblong, 5–10 × 5–8 mm , sparsely white villus on both surfaces, apex acuminate, base cuneate, margin with 4–10 crenulate lobes; Inflorescence terminal; cymes 16–41 flowered. Sepals 4, papery, half erect, white, oblong, glabrous, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm , not overlapping, margin entire, apex retuse. Petals and disc absent. Stamens 8, longer than sepals; filament 4–5 mm long; anther c. 0.6 mm long. Carpels 2; ovary semi-superior; styles ca. 3–4 mm long, erect. Capsule ca. 3–4 mm , apex neither truncate nor retuse; rostrums 2-3 mm . Seeds 10–30, dark brown, subovoid, 0.6 × 0.4 mm , small papillose. FIGURE 1 . Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense , A-B, Leaf epidermal hairs. C, Caulline leaf. D-E, Bracteal leaf. F, Flower. G, Ovary. H, Capsule. Additional specimens examined ( Paratypes ): CHINA . Hunan Province : Wulingyuan District , Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , Shuiraosimen , ca. 890 m , beside the moist rock, 16 March 2016 , H . Zhou & D. S . Zhou 16031601 ( CSFI ) ; Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , Tianzishan , 800–1000 m , along the moist gulley, 13 March 2016 , H . Zhou & D. S . Zhou 16031321 ( CSFI ) ; Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , Nantianmen , ca. 484 m , beside the moist rock, 15 March 2016 , Hong Liu & D. Q. Lan ZJJ 20160315 06370 ( HSN ) . Chrysosplenium davidianum :— CHINA . Yunnan : Yangbi County , Liziping , 27 April 1940 , R . C . Ching 01120989 ( PE !) ; Yunnan : Li-kiang Hsien , July 1935 , C . W . Wang 01120985 ( PE !) ; Sichuang : Emei Mountain , 24 May 2016 , D. Q . Lan EMS20160524 06642 ( HSN ) . Distribution:— Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense is known only from Zhangjiajie, Hunan province , China . Habitat:— The new species was found in the moist soils, nearby streams and stones, at an elevation between 400 and 1000 m . The species grows in the broad-leaved evergreen forests. The populations are usually dominated by Arisaema silvestrii Pamp. ( Araceae ), Corydalis sheareri S. Moore ( Fumariaceae ), Neomartinella violifolia (Lévl.) Pilger (Cruciferae) , Oxalis griffithii Edgeworth et Hook. f. ( Oxalidaceae ). Phenology:— Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense was observed to be flowering in March and fruiting in April. Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the type locality, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan province , where the new species was discovered. FIGURE 2 . Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense (A, B, C, G, K, L) and its relative species. C. macrophyllum (D, E, F, H) and C. davidianum (I, J). A, Habitat of C. zhangjiajieense ; B, Flowers of C. zhangjiajieense ; C, Fruits of C. zhangjiajieense ; D, Habitat of C. macrophyllum ; E, Flowers of C. macrophyllum ; F, Fruits of C. macrophyllum ; G, Bracteal leaves of C. zhangjiajieense ; H, Bracteal leaves of C. macrophyllum ; I, C. davidianum , J, Sterile branch of C. davidianum ; K-L, Sterile branch of C. zhangjiajieense (show white-colored long villus and raised wart point in basal leaves). A–H, K, L from Zhangjiajie, I, J from Emeishan, Sichuang Province; Photos by Hong Liu. FIGURE 3 . Seeds of Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense and its compared relative species. A-C, C. zhangjiajieense ; D, C. davidianum ; E-F, C. macrophyllum . Relationships: —The new species is similar to Chrysosplenium macrophyllum Oliver (1890:102) and C. davidianum Decne. ex Maximowicz (1890:112) in the papillose seed, stolon and obovate leaf blade, but differs by having white sepals, wrinkled pointed leaves and white-colored long villus covering the whole plant. Morphological differences between the three Chrysosplenium species is given in Table 1 . TABLE 1 . Morphological differences between Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense , C. macrophyllum and C. davidianum .
Characters C. zhangjiajieense C. macrophyllum C. davidianum
Height 13–19 cm 17–21 cm 15–19 cm
Stem crossed rhizomes, sterile branches 5–25m long crossed rhizomes, sterile branches 23–35 cm long crossed rhizomes, sterile branches 5–10 cm long
Laef blade texture fleshy leathery fleshy
hair densly white long hairs covering whole plant and thickly wart points on leaf adaxial surface sparsely brown long hair sparsely white crispedt hair
Basal leaf size 40–105 × 32–65 mm 23–190 × 13–115 mm (0.5–) 21–42 × (0.7–) 20–37 mm
shape obovate, base cuneate, apex rounded obovate, base cuneate, apex rounded wide oval, base truncate, apex rounded
petiole 10–20 mm 8–10 mm 10–30 mm
margin 30–40 crenulate lobes 11–13 crenulate lobes (7–) 13–17 crenulate lobes
Cauline leaves number 1 1 2–5
size 3–5× 4–6 mm 12–17 × 5–7.5 mm 3–7 × 3.5–7 mm
shape oval to circular narrowly elliptic narrowly elliptic
petiole 7–10 mm 3–6 mm 4–7 mm
margin 10-14 crenulate lobes 13 crenulate lobes 7–9 crenulate lobes
...Continued on next page TABLE 1. (Continued)
Characters C. zhangjiajieense C. macrophyllum C. davidianum
Bracteal leaves size 5–10 × 5–8 mm 6–20 × 5–14 mm 3.1–11.2 × 3.1–9 mm
shape pilose, oblong, apex acuminate, base cuneate pilose, broadly ovate glabrous, orbicular-flabellate, base broadly cuneate
petiole 3–12 mm 3–10 mm 1.2–3.5 mm
margin 4–10 crenulate lobes 9–15 crenate lobes 3–7 crenate lobes
Sepals size 3–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm 3–3.2 × 2.5–3.9 mm 1–2.6 × 1.1–3.1 mm
colour white white yellow
shape oblong, erect, glabrous, apex retuse oblong, erect, glabrous, apex retuse orbicular, erect,, glabrous, apex obtuse or retuse
Stamens longer than sepals, 4–5 mm longer than sepals, 4–5.6 mm shorter than sepals, 1–2mm
Ovary semi-inferior; styles erect, ca. 4 mm semi-inferior; styles erect, ca. 5 mm semi-inferior; styles fork, ca. 0.8–2 mm
Capsule ca. 3–4 mm, apex neither truncate nor retuse; carpels subequal; rostrums 2-3 mm. ca. 4–4.5 mm, apex neither truncate nor retuse; carpels subequal; rostrums 3-4 mm ca. 3.8 mm, apex subtruncate, retuse, carpels horizontal, rostrums ca. 1 mm
Seed 0.6 × 0.4 mm, subovoid, small papillose, dark brown 0.7 × 0.4 mm, subovoid, long papillose, dark brown 0.5 × 0.4 mm, ovoid, long papillose, dark brown
Habitat Moist soil, nearby streams and stones Moist soil Moist soil
Conservation status:— Three small populations of this new species were found in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The total number of Chrysosplenium zhangjiajieense individuals within these three wild populations were less than 500. According to the protection status in Chinese plant red data book ( Yu 1999 ) and IUCN categories and criteria ( Baillie et al. 2004 ), we tentatively assess the conservation status of the new species to be endangered (EN). Therefore, it is very urgent to do further field studies and to stress on the conservation of this new species.