Epimedium leptorrhizum Stearn, J. Bot. 71: 343. 1933

Xu, Yanqin, Liu, Linjian, Liu, Shaoxiong, He, Yiming, Li, Renqing & Ge, Fei, 2019, The taxonomic relevance of flower colour for Epimedium (Berberidaceae), with morphological and nomenclatural notes for five species from China, PhytoKeys 118, pp. 33-64 : 41-45

2. Epimedium leptorrhizum Stearn, J. Bot. 71: 343. 1933 Fig. 3

Epimedium brachyrrhizum Stearn, Kew Bull. 52: 659. 1997. Type: CHINA. Guizhou: Mt. Fanjingshan, cultivated in the USA, Massachusetts, Hubbbardston, Darrell Probst CPC940495 (holotype: K000340100!).

Type.

CHINA. Guizhou: Guiyang, Bodinier 2184 (holotype: P, barcode P00568282!; isotypes: P, barcodes P00572792!, P00572793!, P00572800!, P00572801!, P00572802!).

Description.

Herbs 12-50 cm tall. Rhizome long creeping, or compact, 1 –5(– 8) mm in diam.; internodes sometimes to 20 cm. Leaves basal and cauline, trifoliolate or occasionally unifoliolate. Leaflets of trifoliolate leaves narrowly ovate or ovate, 3-16 × 2-8.6 cm, apex long acuminate, base deeply cordate with usually rounded lobes nearly touching, those of the lateral leaflets very unequal; unifoliolate leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 8-13.7 × 5-11 cm, apex acuminate, base cordate with lobes equal, rounded and rarely acute; leaves leathery, margin spinous-serrate, adaxially deep green, glossy, abaxially glaucous, papillose, and pubescent along veins, especially dense at the insertion of petioles and petiolules. Flowering stem with 1 trifoliolate leaf or 2 opposite leaves. Inflorescence simple, racemose, 3-14-flowered, 12-25 cm long, glandular. Pedicel 1-2.5 cm long, glandular. Flowers large, ca. 4 cm in diam. Outer sepals green or purplish, outer pair ovate-oblong, 3-5 × 2 mm, apex obtuse, inner pair broadly ovate, 4-5.5 × 3-4.5 mm, apex acuminate; inner sepals white, white tinged with rose, or rose, narrowly elliptic, 11-20 × 4-7 mm, apex acute. Petals subequal to or longer than the inner sepals, white or pale yellow with base yellow or orange, white with base rose or deep rose, rose, deep rose or pale purple, horn-shaped, 15-26 mm, tapering from a swollen but lamina-less base. Stamens ca. 4 mm long; anthers, yellow or green, ca. 3 mm long. Follicles oblong, 8-18 mm long; style rostriform. Seeds numerous.

Distribution and habitat.

Epimedium leptorrhizum is distributed in the montane forests or thickets in Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan and Chongqing, in elevations ranging from 350 m to 2100 m (Fig. 4 ).

Phenology.

Epimedium leptorrhizum flowers from April to May, and fruits from May to June.

Taxonomical remarks.

Abundant and continuous flower colour variation has been observed and illustrated for this species. The inner sepals presented continuous variation from white, white tinged with rose, through to completely rose. Petals varied from white or pale yellow with base yellow or orange, white with base rose or deep rose to completely rose, deep rose or pale purple (Fig. 3 ). Among them, white and pale yellow were only observed in one individual of the GZGY population. However, it is very common that the colour ranged from pale rose or rose to deep rose or pale purple among and within populations. The synonym, E. brachyrrhizum (GZLC) didn’t show any variation of flower colour, with rose inner sepals and pale rose petals.

In addition, we showed that the rhizome of E. leptorrhizum is usually long-creeping, occasionally compact. The flowering stem is usually with 1 trifoliolate leaf or 2 opposite leaves.

Additional specimens examined.

CHINA. Guizhou: Mt. Qianling, Guiyang, 10 March 1957, Anon. 0123-635 (IMD); Mt. Qianling, Guiyang, 28 August 1977, Anon. 5507 (IMD); Qianling Park, Guiyang, 1400 m, 19 March 1959, Qiannan Exped. 0077 (PE); Guiyang, 5 June 1994, B. L. Guo 94018 (IMD); Shuikousi, Guiyang, 1145 m, 2 April 2012, Y. Q. Xu & Y. Xu 2012001 (JXCM); Minzhu, Longli, 1407 m, 1 April 2004, B. L. Guo A38 (IMD); Longli, 1268 m, 15 April 2003, B. L. Guo A81 (IMD); Ganlong, Songtao, 775 m, 19 April 2003, B. L. Guo A87 (IMD); Songtao,19 April 2003, B. L. Guo A98 (IMD); Huguo Temple, Yinjiang, 1100 m, 8 April 1964, Z. S. Zhang & T. L. Min 401219 (PE, HGAS); Pingba, Anshun, 1500 m, 24 September 1959, Anshun Exped. 1548 (PE); Ganwangou, Jiangkou, 350 m, 16 April 1990, S. Z. He 90005 (HGAS); Wenang, Libo, 850 m, 29 April 1984, Q. H. Chen 2377 (HGAS); Fuli, Bijie, 2100 m, 12 July 1959, Bijie Exped. 266 (HGAS); Zhennan, Wuchuan, 580 m, 26 May 1977, J. H. Yuan 001 (HGAS); Zhuoshui, Wuchuan, 580 m, 27 May 1977, J. H. Yuan 002 (HGAS); Mt. Fanjing (Fanjingshan), Yinjaing, 1060 m-1200 m, 18 June 1963, Anon. 680 (HGAS); Ganlong, Songtao, 907 m, 10 April 2013, Y. Q. Xu & K. N. Zhang 2012010 (JXCM); Muhuang, Yinjiang, 1300 m, 1 April 2017, Y. M. He & L. J. Liu 2017002 (JXCM). Hubei: Maoping, Jianshi, Enshi, 1019 m, 9 April 2008, B. L. Guo & J. J. Liu 0804 (IMD); Maotian, Jianshi, Enshi, 983 m, 9 April 2008, B. L. Guo & J. J. Liu 0805 (IMD); Banqiao, Enshi, 1258 m, 12 April 2008, B. L. Guo & J. J. Liu 0808 (IMD); Daijing, Lichuan, Enshi, 1100 m, 25 April 1989, B. L. Guo & X. Z. Luo 89005 (IMD); Mt. Fubao (Fubaoshan), Lichuan, Enshi, 1460 m, 29 April 1989, B. L. Guo & X. Z. Luo 89009 (IMD); Mt. Fubao (Fubaoshan), Lichuan, Enshi, 1293 m, 8 April 2004, B. L. Guo A54 (IMD); Lichuan, Enshi, 1141 m, 8 April 2004, B. L. Guo A47 and B. L. Guo A52 (IMD); Enshi, November 1958, H. J. Li 8738 (PE); Qianping, Xintang, Enshi, 1523 m, 24 April 2012, Y. Q. Xu 2012004 (JXCM); Mt. Fubao (Fubaoshan), Lichuan, Enshi, 1386 m, 2 April 2012, Y. Q. Xu & Y. Xu 2012006 (JXCM). Hunan: Jishou University, Jishou (cultivated, from Longshan), 17 April 2003, B. L. Guo A99 (IMD); Mt. Tianping (Tianpingshan), Sangzhi, 441 m, 5 April 2004, B. L. Guo A32 (IMD); Mt. Tianping (Tianpingshan), Sangzhi, 26 August 1988, H. N. Xun 3967 (PE). Chongqing: Xinglong, Youyang, 1000 m, 4 May 1959, Anon. 02265 (PE); Guanyang, Wushan, 1056-1124 m, 9 May 2008, Sanxia Exped. 1305 (PE). Guangxi: Dongshan, Quanxian, 840 m, 17 July 1958, Y. C. Chen 00102 (IBK). Zhejiang: Datianping, Longquan, 1175 m, 9 April 2005, B. L. Guo 0516 (IMD); Datianping, Longquan, 1210 m, 27 April 2018, Y. Q. Xu & H. Huang 2018005 (JXCM).

Figures

Figure 3. The variations and morphological characters of E. leptorrhizum. A the colour variations of inner sepals and petals B-E variations of the number and arrangement of stem-leaves F long creeping rhizome G stout and compact rhizome.

Figure 4. Geographical variation in flower colour patterns within E. leptorrhizum (boxes), E. pauciflorum (circles), E. mikinorii (diamonds) and E. glandulosopilosum (triangle). The colour of the boxes, circles, diamonds and triangle represent flower colour. The population codes are shown in Table 1. The left area of the red dotted line is western China.