Rubus pseudoswinhoei Huan C. Wang & Z. R. He, 2016

Wang, Huan-Chong, Ma, Jing-Xia & He, Zhao-Rong, 2016, Rubus pseudoswinhoei (Rosaceae), a distinct new species from Yunnan, southwest China, Phytotaxa 261 (2), pp. 147-156 : 148-151

Rubus pseudoswinhoei Huan C. Wang & Z. R. He sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 and 2 )

Rubus pseudoswinhoei is similar to R. swinhoei Hance (1866: 211) , but differs from the latter by its stipules usually persistent, 1.5–2 cm long, leaves with 12–18 pairs of lateral veins, pedicels 0.8–1.5cm long, hypanthium 0.8–1.1cm in diameter, and sepals triangular-ovate to triangular-lanceolate, and 1–1.5 cm long.

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan Province: Luquan County, Zhuanlong village, Jiaozi Shan, Zhongcaozi, in evergreen broad-leaved forest predominated by Illicium simonsii Maximowicz and Camellia reticulata Lindley , elev. 2900 m, 21 September 2007, Huan C. Wang, L. F. Shao & K. K. Zhou 1612 (holotype YUKU!, isotypes YUKU!)

Climbing or sprawling shrubs, up to 10 m long, semi-evergreen. Stems terete, slender, brown to purplish brown, gray-tomentose at first, glabrate, with few to many curved prickles. Branchlets brown, pilose and more or less gray-tomentose, with minute curved prickles. Leaves simple. Stipules lanceolate, entire, membranous, brownish, usually persistent (more or less persistent in biennial branches), 1.5–2 cm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, glabrous adaxially, appressed-pilose abaxially. Petioles (0.8) 1–1.8 (2.5) cm long, pilose, with 1–5 minute, curved prickles. Leaf blades elliptic to lanceolate, undivided, herbaceous, 6–15 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, base cordate to shallowly cordate, margin doubly serrate, teeth mucronate, apex acute to acuminate, rarely long acuminate; nervation pinnate, with 12–18 lateral veins on each side of the midrib; adaxial surfaces pubescent or nearly glabrous, abaxial surfaces white tomentose, the tomentum of leaves on flowering and fruiting branches usually falling off entirely. Inflorescences terminal, shortly racemose, 3–7 cm long, 1–7-flowered, rachis and pedicels tomentose-villous, with brown needle-like glandular hairs, the hairs 1.5–2.5 mm long; bracts similar to stipules, sometimes 2–3 lobed apically. Pedicels 0.8–1.5 cm long. Flowers 1.5–2 cm in diameter. Calyces abaxially densely gray-tomentose, with dense needle-like glandular hairs, adaxially tomentose; hypanthium 0.8–1.1 cm in diameter; sepals triangular-ovate to triangular-lanceolate, entire, apex acuminate, 1–1.5 cm long, 0.4–0.5 cm wide. Petals white, broadly obovate, 0.8–1 cm long, 0.4–0.6 cm wide, both surfaces thinly pubescent, base shortly clawed, apex round. Stamens numerous, 0.8–1 cm long, filaments inflated basally, glabrous, anthers with spare hairs. Torus with dense straight hairs. Gynoecium 0.9–1.2 cm long, ovaries and styles glabrous. Fruits not seen.

Phenology: — Rubus pseudoswinhoei flowering from June to July, fruiting perhaps in September and October.

Habitat and distribution: — Rubus pseudoswinhoei is endemic to northern Yunnan, southwest China, where it has only been collected from three localities to date ( Fig. 3 ): Jiaozi Shan and Shayong Shan in Luquan County, and Lianhe village in Xundian County. The plant grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests, predominated by Illicium simonsii Maximowicz (1888: 480) and Camellia reticulata Lindley (1827 : pl.1078), at elevations of 2500–2900 m.

Etymology: —The specific epithet, pseudoswinhoei , derives from the Greek pseudo -, meaning resembling but not equaling, and the epithet of the species Rubus swinhoei , to which the newly named species is closely related.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rubus pseudoswinhoei Huan C. Wang & Z. R. He. Habit. (Drawn from the specimen Huan C. Wang, L. F. Shao & K. K. Zhou 1612 (YUKU) By L. Wang).

FIGURE 2. Rubus pseudoswinhoei Huan C. Wang & Z. R. He. A. Habit. B. Abaxial surface of the leaf on the vegetative branch. C. Inflorescence. D. Petiole and stipules. E. Teeth of the leaf margin. (Photographed from the specimen Huan C. Wang, L. F. Shao & K. K. Zhou 1612 (YUKU)).

FIGURE 3. Geographical distribution of Rubus pseudoswinhoei Huan C. Wang & Z. R. He (solid stars).