Ilex bioritsensis Hayata (1911: 53)

Hong, De-Yuan, 2015, A taxonomical revision of Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) in the Pan-Himalaya and unraveling its distribution patterns, Phytotaxa 230 (2), pp. 151-171 : 153

1. Ilex bioritsensis Hayata (1911: 53) . Type:— CHINA. Taiwan, Taizan, Bioritsu, Oct. 1908, T. Kawakami & U. Mori 7185 (holotype: TI, n. v., photo, K)

Ilex ciliospinosa Loesener (1911: 78) , syn. nov. Ilex bioritsensis var. ciliospinosa (Loes.) Comber (1933: 43) . Type:— CHINA. W Szechuan (Sichuan), Chien-shi hsien, 1500 m, Sept. 15. 1908, E. H. Wilson 996 (lectotype designated by Hu, 1949b: A; isolectotype: K).

Ilex ciliospinosa was reduced to the varietal rank by Comber (1933), but was restored to the specific status by Hu (1949b). Tseng did not accept Hu’s (1949) restoration and used the varietal name in his identification of specimens, but Chen et al. (2008) still recognized this taxon as a species. Hu (1949) and Chen et al. (2008) used the number of spines on the margin of leaf blades as a major diagnostic character for distinguishing the two taxa. As shown in Figure 1 , two leaves from one shoot and even two sides of one leaf differ in the number of spines. Furthermore, many specimens were identified as I. bioritsensis by one author, but as I. ciliospinosa by the others.

Representative specimens examined:— S HENGDUAN: Hanyuan , 3800 m, 01. Sept. 1938, T. P. Wang 9445 ( PE) ; Yulong ( Lijiang ), s. loc., 1939, K. M. Feng 622 ( PE) ; Mianning, Maidi to Huilong , 2700 m, 26. Sept. 1960, T. S. Ying 4719 ( PE) ; Muli, Bo’ao , 2400 m, 27. Aug. 1983, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 13510 ( PE) ; Muli, Wachang to Muli Town , 2400 m, 07. Jun. 1984, W. L. Chen et al. 6030 ( PE) ; Meigu , 19. Aug. 1959, Sichuan Econ. Plant Surv. (Liang 59) 1789 ( PE) ; Shangri-la (Zhongdian), Anangu Valley , 22. May 1939, K. M. Feng 966 ( PE) ; Yanyuan, Yuanbao, Dalin , 3200 m, 20. Jul. 1983, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 12059 ( PE) ; Yongshen , 2200 m, 01. Jul. 1932, H. T. Tsai 50962 ( PE) ; Yuexi, Lajiba , 2700 m, 29. Aug. 1976, Sichuan Plant Surv. 14048 ( PE) ; Zhaojue, Suosuogou , 2500 m, 13. Jul. 1960, S. Jiang 7643 ( PE) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Variation in the number of spines on leaves from a single shoot of Ilex bioritsensis Hayata. The voucher: China, Chongqing, Jinfo Shan, J. H. Xiong & Z. L. Zhou 90574 (PE). a, two spines on each side; b, two on right, while four on left; c, five on right, while four on left. Scale bar = 1 cm.