Vaccinium usneoides (Ericaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China Author Guo, Yong-Jie https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1752-4495 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China Author Zhang, Ting https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0939-8468 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China Author Ya, Ji-Dong https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3389-1412 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China & Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China Author Zhang, Wei https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5327-8698 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China Author Shen, Xiu-Ying Fugong Branch of Nujiang Administration of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Fugong, 673400, Yunnan, China Author Han, Zhou-Dong https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9431-1349 Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China Author Ni, Jing-Bo CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China & Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden of Guangdong Province, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China Author Su, Jian-Yong South China National Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China Author Tong, Yi-Hua https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5034-005X CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China & Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden of Guangdong Province, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China yh-tong@scbg.ac.cn text PhytoKeys 2023 2023-12-21 236 187 195 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.236.112658 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.236.112658 1314-2003-236-187 EBEAF43289A752F6B31BD2CFC3B6C116 Vaccinium usneoides Y.H.Tong, Y.J.Guo & Ting Zhang sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 Type . China . Yunnan Province : Fugong County , Shiyueliang Xiang , Yaduo Village , Nihajiadi (also called "Shibagongli" unofficially), Gaoligong Mountain , epiphytic on trees in evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest, 27°9′55.0″N , 98°46′44.2″E , 2497 m a.s.l. , 27 May 2022 (fl.), Ting Zhang , Ji-Dong Ya & Wei Zhang 22CS21979 ( holotype : KUN, barcode no. 1584163 (Fig. 3 ), isotypes: IBSC, barcode no. 1003856, KUN, barcode no. 1584164) . Diagnosis. This new species is close to V. brachyandrum in the short and hairy inflorescences (less than 3.5 cm) with many flowers and the abaxially glandular leaf blades with one basal gland per side and a caudate-acuminate apex, but can be immediately distinguished by its hanging-down (vs. scrambling) branches, much smaller leaf blades (2.5-5.5 x 0.9-1.8 cm vs. 8.5-11 x 4-6 cm) with fewer pairs of secondary veins (3-4 vs. 6-7), shorter inflorescence (1-1.5 cm vs. 1.5-3.5 cm), non-glandular tomentellate or densely pubescent (vs. glandular pubescent) inflorescence rachis and pedicel, shorter pedicel (0.7-1 mm vs. ca. 2 mm), densely white-pubescent (vs. glabrous) hypanthium and pilose (vs. glabrous) filament. A detailed morphological comparison between the two species is presented in Table 1 . Figure 1. Vaccinium usneoides sp. nov. A habitat, the red ovals indicating this species B habit C leafy branches, the arrow showing the indumentum on young branchlets and leaf blades D flowering branchlets with young inflorescences E flowering branchlet F fruiting branchlet. A, B taken by Yi-Hua Tong C, F taken by Yong-jie Guo D taken by Ji-Dong Ya E taken by Ting Zhang. Table 1. A morphological comparison of Vaccinium usneoides and V. brachyandrum . The character information of the latter species is taken from Fang and Wu (1987) , Fang and Stevens (2005) and its type specimens.

Characters	V. usneoides	V. brachyandrum
Branches	Hanging down	Scrambling
Leaf blade	2.5-5.5 x 0.9-1.8 cm	8.5-11 x 4-6 cm
Pairs of secondary veins	3-4	6-7
Inflorescence length	1-1.5 cm	1.5-3.5 cm
Indumentum on inflorescence and pedicel	Non-glandular tomentellate or densely pubescent	Glandular pubescent
Hypanthium	Densely white-pubescent	Glabrous
Pedicel length	0.7-1 mm	ca. 2 mm
Filament	Pilose	Glabrous

Description. Evergreen shrubs, epiphytic on tree trunks, sparsely branched; roots creeping firmly on tree trunks or branches; stems 0.5-3 m long, without swollen basal tuber or root swellings. Branches hanging down, young shoots brownish or greenish, terete or slightly angled, without lenticels, densely pubescent; old ones more or less glabrescent, brownish or greyish, often obviously angled in sicco. Perennating buds dimorphic (floral perennating buds at least twice the size of vegetative perennating buds). Leaves alternate; petiole short, curved, 2-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, densely pubescent, glabrescent when mature; blade narrowly ovate to oblong, 2.5-5.5 (including caudate apex) x 0.9-1.8 cm, thickly leathery, adaxially more or less transversely wrinkled when dry, especially for young ones, abaxially with evenly distributed and caducous appressed black glandular trichomes, trichome base papillate, both sides pubescent when young, glabrous when mature, base rounded to broadly cuneate, with 1 basal gland per side at ca. 1 mm distance from the junction of leaf blade base and petiole, margin entire, revolute, with a ca. 0.5 mm broad, cartilaginous edge, apex caudate-acuminate; veins impressed adaxially, more so when dry, obscure abaxially, secondary veins 3-4 per side, tertiary veins slightly prominent. Inflorescence short racemose, 1-1.5 cm long, axillary on biennial branches, shorter than and shaded by leaf blades, 8-14-flowered. Peduncle very short, inflorescence rachis 0.7-1 cm long, white-tomentellate or densely white-pubescent; bracts red on exposed part, greenish on covered part, broadly obovate, cucullate, 5-6 x 6-7 mm, abaxially more or less white-pubescent on mid-vein, more so on lower half, adaxially glabrous, margin ciliate, caducous; bracteoles 2, inserted at base of pedicel, greenish, sometimes tinged with red, obovate, 3.5-4 x 2-2.5 mm, indumentum similar to bracts, caducous. Pedicels greenish, very short, 0.5-1 mm long, densely white-pubescent, articulate with the hypanthium. Hypanthium greenish, obconical, 1-1.5 x 1-1.5 mm, densely white-pubescent, more so at base; calyx limb lobed nearly to base, lobes 5, green, more or less tinged with red, triangular, ca. 2 x 1.5 mm, abaxially white-pubescent at apex, otherwise glabrous, adaxially glabrous, apex acuminate, margin ciliate. Corolla red, urceolate-campanulate, slightly angled when young, 3.5-4 x ca. 3 mm, tube glabrous on both sides; lobes 5, ovate-triangular, reflexed, ca. 0.8 x 1 mm, abaxially white-pubescent at apex, otherwise glabrous, adaxially papillose, apex acuminate. Stamens 10, 2.8-3 mm long; filaments flat, slightly S-shaped, 1-1.2 mm long, papillose on both sides, margin pilose; anthers 1.8-2 mm long, thecae slightly longer than or nearly as equal as tubules; spurs 2, borne at abaxial base of tubules, 0.7-0.8 mm long, spreading. Disc yellowish-green, annular, glabrous; style cylindrical, slightly angled in sicco, 2.7-3 mm long, glabrous, stigma truncate; ovary pseudo-10-locular, each locule with several ovules. Fruiting pedicels 1-3.5 mm long; berries pale green to green when young, yellowish-green to purplish-red or dark purple when mature, globose, 4.5-6 mm in diam., densely white-pubescent, with persistent calyx lobes appressed at apex, ripe berries a little bitter. Seeds ovoid, 0.7-0.8 x 0.5-0.7 mm, testa brownish, reticulate. Figure 2. Vaccinium usneoides sp. nov. A flowering branchlet B trichomes on abaxial surface of leaf blades C fruiting branchlet D flower E flower with corolla and calyx limb removed, showing androecium and gynoecium F stamens, adaxial (left), abaxial (middle) and lateral (right) view G seeds. Illustrated by Ding-Han Cui. Figure 3. Holotype of Vaccinium usneoides ( Ting Zhang, Ji-Dong Ya & Wei Zhang 22CS21979 , KUN, barcode no. 1584163). Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the genus of beard lichen " Usnea " and the suffix "- oides ", which means the habit of this new species looks very much like beard lichen on trees from a distance. Chinese name is given as松萝越橘 (Pinyin: sōng luo yue ju ). Distribution and habitat. This species is currently known only from the type locality, i.e. the part of the Gaoligong Mountain in Fugong County. It grows on trees in mountainous evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests at elevations of 2400-2800 m a.s.l. Conservation status. Vaccinium usneoides is not rare in the type locality and the whole distribution area is under the protection of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve. Thus, the threat risk seems to be low. Since the type locality is very near the border of China and Myanmar, this species is probably also distributed in the adjacent area of Myanmar. Thus, it is best to assign a status of 'Data Deficient' (DD) for this species following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2022 ). Phenology. Flowering in May-June and fruiting in October-November. Additional specimens examined. Vaccinium usneoides ( paratypes ): the same locality with holotype : 27°9′57.78″N , 98°46′14.91″E , 2661 m a.s.l., 27 October 2022 (fr.), Yong-Jie Guo, Zhou-Dong Han & Xiu-Ying Shen 22CS22598 (IBSC, barcode no. 1003853, KUN, barcode nos. 1584165 & 1584166); 27°9′56.89″N , 98°46′14.63″E , 2652 m a.s.l., 27 October 2022 (fr.), Yong-Jie Guo, Zhou-Dong Han & Xiu-Ying Shen 22CS24002 (IBSC, barcode no. 1003856, KUN, barcode nos. 1584167 & 1584168); 27°9′46.08″N , 98°46′39.98″E , 2544 m a.s.l., 27 October 2022 (fr.), Yong-Jie Guo, Zhou-Dong Han & Xiu-Ying Shen 22CS24003 (IBSC, barcode no. 1003855, KUN, barcode no. 1584169); 27°9′39.6″N , 98°46′56.06″E , 2444 m a.s.l., 10 March 2023 , Yi-Hua Tong, Jing-Bo Ni, Bing-Mou Wang & Wei-Hao Pan TYH-2637 (IBSC). Examined specimens of Vaccinium brachyandrum . China. Yunnan Province: Tengchong, Houqiao, 2720 m a.s.l., 18 May 1964, Su Kung Wu 6629 (holotype KUN1209465, isotype KUN1209466); ibid., 25°24′16.700″N , 98°8′43.869″E , 2564 m a.s.l., 22 August 2022, Yong-Jie Guo & Zhong-Lan Yang 22CS22523 (IBSC, KUN); Lushui, Pianma, Fengxueyakou, 25°59′12.779″N , 98°40′3.828″E , 2691 m a.s.l., 23 May 2022, Ting Zhang, Ji-Dong Ya & Wei Zhang 22CS21913 (IBSC, KUN); ibid., 25°59′12.72″N , 98°40′3.9″E , 2705 m a.s.l., 28 October 2022, Yong-Jie Guo & Zhou-Dong Han 22CS22599 (IBSC, KUN); ibid., 25°59′0.76″N , 98°40′5.03″E , 2782 m a.s.l., 11 March 2023, Yi-Hua Tong, Jing-Bo Ni, Bing-Mou Wang & Wei-Hao Pan TYH-2643 (IBSC) & TYH-2644 (IBSC).