Loropetalum axillare (Hamamelidaceae), a new species from Guangdong, China Author Jin, Zi-Chao 0000-0003-3904-7570 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Environmental Horticulture Research Institute / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China. & 1174165700 @ qq. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3904 - 7570 1174165700@qq.com Author Xu, Lian-Sheng 0000-0002-9874-9452 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Environmental Horticulture Research Institute / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China. & xuliansheng @ ibcas. ac. cn; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9874 - 9452 xuliansheng@ibcas.ac.cn Author Xu, Ye-Chun 0000-0002-2832-1514 tahua @ 126. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 2832 - 1514 Author Chen, You-Sheng 0000-0002-7729-1075 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Environmental Horticulture Research Institute / Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China. & yschen @ scbg. ac. cn; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7729 - 1075 yschen@scbg.ac.cn text Phytotaxa 2023 2023-10-24 622 1 85 94 https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/download/phytotaxa.622.1.6/51243 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.622.1.6 1179-3163 10145035 Loropetalum axillare Y. S. Chen & Y. C. Xu , sp. nov. ( Figs. 4 & 5 ) Type:— China . Guangdong : Guangzhou , Zengcheng District , Dafengmen Scenic Area , growing by the stream in the valley, elev. 200–400 m , 11 September 2022 , Y. S. Chen , Y. C. Xu et Y. P. Zeng 22241 ( Holotype : IBSC0904409 ; isotypes : IBSC0904410 , IBSC0904411 , PE ; Fig. 6 ) . Description:— Shrubs or small trees, ca. 2 m tall, much branched; branchlets densely stellately pubescent. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, 2–3 × 0.5–1 mm , stellately pubescent; petioles 2–4 mm long, stellately pubescent; leaf narrow blade ovate, narrow elliptic, 2–6.5 × 1–2 cm , margin entire, apex acuminate, base oblique; abaxially densely stellately pubescent, adaxially sparsely pubescent or stellately pubescent, lateral veins 3–5 on each side, abaxially prominent. Inflorescence axillary; 3–6-flowered; peduncle absent; bracts linear or lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm long; flowers nearly sessile; coexistence with leaves. Floral cup cupular, stellately pubescent, 1.2–2 mm . Sepals ovate, 2–3 mm long. Petals 3–5, white, 0.5–1 cm long, linear, apex obtuse or rounded. Stamens 4, ca. 1 mm long, filaments very short, connective elongated into a horn, 0.1–0.2 mm long, anthers ovoid. Capsules globose or ovoid, 3–7 × 4–8 mm , densely stellately pubescent, hairs brown, apex rounded, adnate to floral cup for 1/3–1/4 of their length. Seeds brownish black, ovoidglobose or ellipsoid, 4–5 × 2–3 mm . Phenology:— Flowering in September. Vernacular name:— Ḟfflff+, guang zhou ji mu in Chinese Pinyin. FIGURE 1. Loropetalum chinense in the wild (Qingyuan, Guangdong, China). A. Habitat. B–E. Synflorescence. F. Leaves. G. Leaves. H. Synflorescence. I. Capsules. A–I: All photos by You-Sheng Chen based on Y.S. Chen & Y.C. Xu 22260 (IBSC). FIGURE 2. Loropetalum subcordatum (Cultivated in South China Botanical Garden Guangzhou, Guangdong, China). A. Habitat. B. Branchlet. C. Branchlet. D. Leaves. E. Stipule. F. Petiole. G–L. Synflorescence. A–L: Photos by Zi-Chao Jin and You-Sheng Chen based on Z.C. Jin HZ202301 (IBSC). FIGURE 3. ML tree inferred from ITS and ETS sequences. The numbers above and below branches are bootstrap values (BS) and Bayesian posterior probability (PP) from BI, respectively. Loropetalum axillare sp. nov. is marked with red color. Etymology:— The specific epithet ‘ axillare ’ refers to the axillary inflorescence. Distribution and habitat:— Loropetalum axillare is currently only known from the Dafengmen Scenic Area, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, Guangdong , China ( Figure 7 ). It grows by the stream in the valley at elevations of 200–400 m above sea level.