Ilex jiangmenensis Lei Jiang & K.W.Xu, 2020

Jiang, Lei, Wu, Lin-Fang, Huang, Guan-Yun, Yu, Jia-Rong, He, Bi-Sheng & Xu, Ke-Wang, 2020, A new species of Ilex sect. Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) from Guangdong, China, Phytotaxa 428 (2), pp. 153-158 : 153-155

Ilex jiangmenensis Lei Jiang & K.W.Xu , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 , 3 & 4A ).

Diagnosis:— Ilex jiangmenensis is most similar to Ilex pingheensis C.J. Tseng (1989: 29) in having leave blade thickly leathery, blade margin slightly or deeply undulate, sparsely black serrulate, reticulate veins conspicuous abaxially, inflorescences fasciculate, axillary, pyrenes 4(–5), but I. jiangmenensis has leave blade (1.2–)2.5–3.5(–4.5) × (0.6–)1.2–1.5(–2) cm, apex acute or short acuminate, fascicles of pistillate inflorescences 1–2(–4)-cymes, and fascicles of staminate inflorescence (1)-3–cymes, while I. pingheensis has leave blade 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex acuminate or long acuminate, fascicles of pistillate and staminate inflorescences 4-flowered.

Type:— CHINA. Guangdong: Jiangmen City, Gudoushan Provincial Nature Reserve, elev. ca. 505 m, 22°12’31.81”N, 112°56’28.26”E, on the way from Huogaishan to Banyuzui , in evergreen broad-leaved forests, 27 March 2011, Jiang et al. GDS00201 (holotype IBSC!; isotype KUN!) .

Shrubs, 1.0–2.0 m tall, stem 1–2 cm in diam. Bark grey.Young branchlets yellow-green to green, terete, puberulent; second year’s branchlets yellow-brown to gray brown, with slightly raised circular or elliptic leaf scars and lenticels. Leaves persist on young branchlets. Stipules deciduous, minute; petiole abaxially terete, adaxially sulcate, 2.5–4.5 mm, glabrous. Leaf blade pale green to yellow green abaxially, green to dark green adaxially, oval or elliptic to lanceolate, (1.2–)2.5–3.5(–4.5) × (0.6–)1.2–1.5(–2) cm, leathery, abaxially glabrous, midvein impressed adaxially and raised abaxially, lateral veins 4–7 pairs, abaxially conspicuous, green, flat or slightly raised, anastomosing near margin, adaxially slightly impressed or indistinct, reticulate veins conspicuous, green, flat or slightly raised abaxially, obscure adaxially, blade base obtuse or cuneate, margin sparsely serrulate, apex acute or short acuminate. Pistillate inflorescences: 1-flowered cymes, solitary or fasciculate, fascicles 1–2(–4)-flowered, axillary on current year’s branchlets; pedicels ca. 1 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2, yellow-brown, small, subulate. Staminate inflorescences: individual branches of the fascicles (1)–3-flowered, fasciculate, axillary. Infructescences 1-fruited cymes, solitary or fasciculate, fascicles 1–2(–4)-fruited, axillary on current year’s branchlets. Fruit red, globose or slightly depressed globose, 6–8(–10) mm in diam.; fruit pedicel 4–10 mm, puberulent, usually purple in the upper part of the pedicel; calyx persistent, explanate, ca. 1 mm in diam., glabrous, 4-lobed, lobes half-orbicular; stigma persistent, discoid; pyrenes 4(–5), ellipsoidal, 4–5 mm in length, ca. 4 mm in width, abaxially thinly slightly striate and sulcate, laterally rugose-pitted.

Geographical distribution:— Ilex jiangmenensis is currently only known from Taishan City and Xinhui District, both belonging to Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, China. This species is likely endemic to Guangdong Province ( Fig. 1 ).

Habitat: —The new species was observed to grow in rock crevices or beside the evergreen broad-leaved forests in the mountains of Gudoushan and Nanfengshan at elevation range of 50– 550 m.The dominant woody (arboreal)species of the community include Aidia canthioides (Champ. ex Benth.) Masam. , Buxus megistophylla Lél. , Cyclobalanopsis hui (Chun) Chun ex Y.C.Hsu & H.W.Jen. , Diplospora dubia (Lindl.) Masam. , Diospyros vaccinioides Lindl. , Pentaphylax euryoides Gardn. & Champ. , Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. , and Polyspora axillaris (Roxb. ex Ker Gawler) Sweet ( Fig. 3 ).

Phenology:—Flowering from March to April; fruiting from April to November.

Etymology:—The species epithet is based on the city name, Jiangmen City, and the Latin suffix, -ensis, of origin, where the new species was collected.

Vernacular name:— We propose a Chinese name, jiāngmén dōngqīng (江Ṅḳff), to reflect the type locality of the new species.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Guangdong: Jiangmen City, Gudoushan Provincial Nature Reserve, on the way from Huogaishan to Banyuzui , in rock crevices along the stream, elev. ca. 461 m, 22° 12’ 31.81”N, 112° 56’ 28.26”E, 27 March 2019, Jiang et al. GDS00222 ( IBSC!, SYS!) ; elev. 500 m, 22° 12’ 34.28”N, 112° 56’ 24.25”E, 27 March 2019, Jiang et al. GDS00217 ( IBSC!, NF!) ; elev. ca. 521 m, 22° 12’ 36.56”N, 112° 56’ 29.76”E, 27 March 2019, Jiang et al. GDS00167 ( IBSC!, NF!) ; Xinhui District, Maji Reservoir , elev. ca. 110 m, 22° 13’ 49.71”N, 113° 0’ 9.76”E, 4 July 2019 Zhong et al. GDS00739 ( SYS!, NF!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type locality of Ilex jiangmenensis and I. pingheensis in China.

FIGURE 2. Ilex jiangmenensis sp. nov. —A. Branches. —B. Old branches. —C. Current year’s branch —D.Abaxial view of leaf blade. —E. Adaxial view of leaf blade. —F. Branches with mature fruit. —G. Staminate inflorescences. —H. Female flower. —I. Male flower. —J. Infructescences and fruits. —K. Fruits and pyrenes. —L. Mature fruit.

FIGURE 3. Ilex jiangmenensis sp. nov. —A, B. Habitat and vegetation. —C. Habit.

FIGURE 4. Type specimens of Ilex jiangmenensis and I. pingheensis. —A. Holotype of I. jiangmenensis (Jiang et al. GDS00201, IBSC!). —B. Holotype of I. pingheensis (He 0116, FJSI-016556!).