Brassaiopsis ficifolioides, Wen & Lowry Ii, 2006

Wen, Jun & Lowry Ii, Porter P., 2006, New species and new combinations in Brassaiopsis (Araliaceae) from Vietnam and southwestern China, Adansonia (3) 28 (1), pp. 181-190 : 185-187

Brassaiopsis ficifolioides

J.Wen & Lowry, sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Frutex. Folia chartacea, c. 40 cm longa, c. 23 cm lata, lobis 3, marginis remote serratis. Panicula terminalis c. 8 cm longa, sparse stellato-pubescens; umbellate 9-14-florae, pedicellis 15-22 mm longis. Ovarium biloculare, stylis connatis.

TYPUS. — Vietnam. Lao Cai Prov., entre Ping Ho et Ta Yang Ping, bord d’un torrent, c. 1200 m, 31.XII.1943, fl., Pételot 8422 (holo-, P!).

DESCRIPTION

Small shrub, apparently hermaphroditic, 0.5-1 m tall, stem grayish white, sparsely covered with conical prickles to c. 4 mm long, young shoots with dense stellate trichomes and prickle-like appendages.Leaves simple, 3-lobed, the sinuses reaching 3/4 to 4/5 to the base, stipules adnate in lower portion to the petiole, free portions narrowly triangular, 3-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide at base, leaf blade c. 30 cm long, c. 23 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, thin papyraceous, lobes probably elliptic (material partially damaged), to c. 25 cm long, 7.5 cm wide, primary veins 5, secondary and tertiary veins conspicuous on both surfaces,base cordate, margin sparsely sharp toothed, the teeth 0.8-1.5 mm long, apex acuminate; petiole c. 22.5 cm long, glabrous, unarmed. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, primary axis slender, c. 8 cm long, 2 mm in diam. at base, sparsely light brown stellate, bearing 2-4 umbels, peduncles 2-2.5 cm long, sparsely stellate to nearly glabrous, umbels with 9-14 flowers, bracts narrowly triangular, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, stellate, pedicels inarticulate, sparsely stellate, 15-22 mm long, bracteoles narrowly triangular, persistent, 1.7-1.8 mm long, 1-1.2 mm wide. Sepals 5, narrowly triangular, 1.9-2 mm long, 1.4-1.6 mm wide, petals 5, ovate-triangular, 3-3.5 mm long, 2-2.2 mm wide, glabrous on both surfaces or very sparsely stellate on abaxial surface, stamens 5, filaments 2.3-2.5 mm long, anthers oblong, c. 1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, ovary 2-locular, styles connate, c. 1 mm long, stigma obscure, disc hemispherical to subglobose. Fruits unknown.

REMARKS

The only known collection of this species was previously identified as B. ficifolia , from which it differs by its much larger leaves (40 × 23 vs. 10-26 × 6-10 cm) that are thinner (thin papyraceous vs. subcoriaceous) and have conspicuous (vs. inconspicuous) secondary and tertiary veins on both surfaces. Brassaiopsis ficifolioides also resembles B. triloba K.M.Feng , but can be distinguished by its much larger leaves (40 × 23 vs. 12-18 × 14-18 cm) whose margin has sparse sharp teeth (vs. ciliate in B. triloba ).

DISTRIBUTION

Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam ; 1200 m.

PHENOLOGY

Flowering in late December.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Brassaiopsis ficifolioides J.Wen & Lowry: A, leaf and erect terminal inflorescence; B, close-up of apical portion of leaf showing the sharp toothed margin; C, inflorescence; D, close-up of indument on petiole base. Pételot 8422. Scale bars: A, 10 cm; B, 2 cm; C, 1 cm; D, 1 mm.