Bredia bullata S.Jin Zeng & N.H.Xia, 2022

Zeng, Si-Jin, Tong, Yi-Hua & Xia, Nian-He, 2022, Bredia bullata (Melastomataceae), a new species from limestone areas in Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 550 (3), pp. 279-286 : 282-285

Bredia bullata S.Jin Zeng & N.H.Xia , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 , 3 )

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture , Malipo County, Babu Village , elev. 1221 m, 28 May 2020 (fl.), Si-Jin Zeng 5017 (holotype: IBSC!; isotypes: CANT!, PE!) .

Diagnosis: The new species resembles B. malipoensis in having tomentose indumentum on some vegetative and reproductive organs (such as stem, petiole, abaxial surface of leaf blade, peduncle, pedicel and hypanthium), cordate leaf blades in unequal pairs, an umbellate inflorescence, purplish-red petals with an unguiculate base and eight subequal stamens, but differs in having bullate (vs. not bullate) leaf blades with (vs. without) white spots around midvein on the adaxial surface, elliptic (vs. semiorbicular) and smaller (2 × 1 mm vs. 5 × 5 mm) calyx lobes, and smaller petals (0.5 × 0.8 cm vs. 1.1 × 1.0 cm) and stamens (the longer ones: ca. 0.7 cm vs. ca. 1.3 cm; the shorter ones: ca. 0.5 cm vs. ca. 0.9 cm).

Shrub, 40–80 cm tall. Densely tomentose (with uniseriate, non-glandular and sparse glandular trichomes) on stems, petioles, abaxial surface of leaf blades, peduncles, pedicels and hypanthia. Stems terete. Leaves in unequal pairs; petiole 5–10 cm long, terete; blade ovate to elliptic, 8–15 × 5–11 cm, stiffly papery, base cordate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, margin denticulate and ciliate, adaxial surface green or sometimes brownish, usually with white spots around midvein, bullate, each small bullate region with one glandular trichome when young, caducous, abaxial surface green or sometimes purple; secondary veins 3–4 on each side of midvein, conspicuous; tertiary veins numerous, parallel, connecting with secondary veins. Inflorescences terminal, umbellate, with 6–12 flowers; peduncle greenish, 3.0– 5.3 cm long; bracts linear, ca. 1 mm long, caducous. Pedicel reddish, 1.0– 1.3 cm long. Hypanthium funnelform, white, 6–7 × ca. 5 mm. Calyx lobes green, elliptic, ca. 2 × 1 mm, apex obtuse to acute. Petals purplish-red, broadly ovate, ca. 5 × 8 mm, base unguiculate, apex retuse, margin undulate with glandular trichomes. Stamens 8, arranged in 2 whorls, 4 antisepalous ones longer and 4 antipetalous ones shorter. Antisepalous (longer) stamens ca. 1.4 cm long, anthers ca. 7 mm long, connective bases inflated, yellow, basally with 2 ventral tubercles and a dorsal short spur ca. 1 mm long. Antipetalous (shorter) stamens ca. 1 cm long, anthers ca. 5 mm long, connective decurrent, yellow, basally with 2 ventral tubercles and a dorsal short spur ca. 1 mm long. Style ca. 1.2 cm long, with sparse glandular trichomes at base. Ovary half-inferior, ovoid, apex with a membranous crown, with sparse glandular trichomes. Capsule funnelform, ca. 8 × 5 mm; placentation axillary, placental column distally entire, placentas non-thready (rough) with short stalk ca. 1 mm; seeds more than 100, wedge-shaped, ca. 1 mm long.

Phenology: —Flowering in May–June, and fruiting in July–August.

Distribution and habitat: —The new species is only known from Babu Village in Malipo County, Yunnan, China. It grows in broad-leaved evergreen forests at elevations of 1200–1300 m.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the bullate leaf blades of the new species.

Vernacular names:—泡叶ff海⁂ (Chinese pinyin: pào yè yě hǎi táng).

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Yunnan: Wenshan, Malipo County, Babu Village , 1280 m, 28 November 2019, Si-Jin Zeng 902 (paratypes: IBSC!, KUN!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bredia bullata. A: flowering branch; B: part of stem with a pair of petioles; C: part of leaf blade, adaxial view; D: part of leaf blade, abaxial view; E: flower bud; F: hypanthium with style, showing ovary; G: petals, adaxial view (left) and abaxial view (right); H: longer stamens, front view (left) and side view (right); I: shorter stamens, front view (left) and side view (right); J: capsule, top view. Scale bars: 5 mm. A–I based on Si-Jin Zeng 5017 (IBSC), and J based on Si-Jin Zeng 902 (IBSC). Drawn by Ding-Han Cui.

FIGURE 3. Bredia bullata. A: green individuals; B: brownish individual; C: part of stem with a pair of petioles showing indumentum; D: adaxial part of leaf blade, showing the bullate structure with white spots; E: abaxial part of leaf blade showing indumentum; F: flower buds, showing calyx lobes; G: umbellate inflorescence with opening flowers; H: infructescence; I: dried capsules, top view. F–G from Si-Jin Zeng 5017 (IBSC) and A–E & H–I from Si-Jin Zeng 902 (IBSC).