Gynostemma verrucosum (Cucurbitaceae), a new species with verrucose stem from Guangxi, China Author Huang, Xue-Yan Guangxi TCM Resources General Survey and Data Collection Key Laboratory, 530023 Nanning, China & Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, 530023 Nanning, China Author Nong, Dong-Xin 0000-0002-0893-9122 Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, 530023 Nanning, China gx_dongxin@163.com Author Huang, Bao-You 0000-0002-0674-7784 National Engineering Research Center for Southwest Endangered Medicinal Materials Resources Development, 530023 Nanning, China huangbaoyou948@hotmail.com Author Yao, Li-Xiang 0009-0000-7495-0170 Guangxi TCM Resources General Survey and Data Collection Key Laboratory, 530023 Nanning, China lixiangyao212@sina.com Author Yao, Ji-Jun 0009-0003-7232-862X Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, 530023 Nanning, China yaojijun98@163.com Author Yu, Li-Ying Guangxi TCM Resources General Survey and Data Collection Key Laboratory, 530023 Nanning, China & Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, 530023 Nanning, China Author Huang, Lu-Qi 0000-0002-2070-4318 State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herb, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 100700 Beijing, China huangluqi01@126.com text Phytotaxa 2024 2024-05-21 649 3 293 300 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.649.3.7 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.649.3.7 1179-3163 13216169 Key to the species of Gynostemma in Guangxi ( China ): 1. Berry globose, not dehiscent ..............................................................................................................................................................2 Capsule depressed-globose, naturally dehiscent when ripening ........................................................................................................4 2. Fruit stalk 7–25 mm ........................................................................................................................................................... G. longipes Fruit stalk less than 7 mm ...................................................................................................................................................................3 3. Leaves pedately 3–9-foliolate, usually 5–7-foliolate ............................................................................................... G. pentaphyllum Leaves pedately 3-foliolate................................................................................................................................................... G. laxum 4. Fruit 2-seeded, obtriangular................................................................................................................................................................5 Fruit 2–3-seeded, globose...................................................................................................................................................................6 5. Stem stout, with conspicuously verrucae .................................................................................................................... G. verrucosum Stem slender, without verrucose................................................................................................................................. G. compressum 6. Stem 3-angled, angles winged.................................................................................................................................... G. caulopterum Stem globose, striate and sulcate................................................................................................................................ G. guangxiense The nrDNA dataset with 372 base pairs(bp) for ITS, and cpDNA dataset comprised an aligned matrix of 2791 bp with 820 bp for PsbB-PsbT , 794 bp for rpl20-rps12 , 570 bp for trnH-psbA , 607 bp for trnL-trnF . The phylogenetic relationship is based on ITS sequences and chloroplast regions combined. The Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) analysis yielded phylogenetic relationships with the same topology. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that the 16 Gynostemma species are divided into three primary taxonomic clusters ( Fig. 3 ). The clade A includes G. longipes , G. pentaphyllum , G. burmanicum , G. pubescens , G. simplicifolium and G. laxum with common morphological characteristics of globose and not dehiscent berries, and G. microspermum with globose and dehiscent capsules. Clade B includes G. yixingense , G. laxiflorum and G. cardiospermum which belong to the subgenus Trirostellum with campanulate capsules, and long rostriform and persistent styles. Clade C includes five species G. pentagynum , G. guangxiense , G. compressum , G. caulopterum , and G. verrucosum , in which G. verrucosum and G. caulopterum form sister species (PP=0.84, BP=98%), sharing in compressed obtriangular and dehiscent capsules. The result is slightly different from the results of Gan’s (2023) phylogenetic analysis basing on chloroplast genomes and Zhang’s (2019) study. Since this molecular analysis based on only five DNA fragments, it is necessary to further study.