Androsace chimingiana Y.Xu & G.Hao, 2022

Xu, Yuan, Yan, Hai-Fei & Hao, Gang, 2022, Further clarification on Androsace mollis Hand. - Mazz. (Primulaceae), with a description of a new species of Androsace, PhytoKeys 212, pp. 73-83 : 73

2. Androsace chimingiana Y.Xu & G.Hao sp. nov.

Figs 2 , 3 , 4

Androsace mollis auct. non. Hand.-Mazz., Handel-Mazzetti in Anzeiger der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien, Sitzung der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 61: 136, 1924, p.p. quoad specim. Handel-Mazzetti 9280.

Type.

China. Yunnan Province: Dali City, Cangshan , 25°40'N, 100°05'E, alt. 3830 m, 25 Jun. 2013 (fl.), H.F. Yan, Y. Xu & S. Yuan Y2013045 (holotype IBSC!, isotype IBSC!) .

Diagnosis.

Androsace chimingiana is similar to A. hookeriana Klatt and A. laxa C.M.Hu & Y.C.Yang, but differs in its white corolla with a yellow eye, obovate bracts, and campanulate calyx which is parted to 1/2-3/4 of its length.

Description.

A perennial herb, laxly cespitose. Shoots densely villous and green when young, becoming glabrescent and dark reddish-brown, internodes 0.5-3 cm, with old petiole or leaf single or rosettes on nodes. Leaves dimorphic; outer leaves sessile, obovate, unicostate, 3-8 mm × 1.5-2.5 mm, ciliate, densely covered with white multicellular hairs on abaxial surface, and sparsely villous on adaxial surface; inner leaves spatulate, unicostate, 8-14 mm × 2-5 mm, petiole indistinct to 1/2 as long as leaf blade, leaf blade elliptic to obovate, sparsely covered with white multicellular hairs on abaxial surface, and glabrescent on adaxial surface, margin spreading villous, more densely so at apex, apex obtuse to subrounded. Scapes 2.5-5.5 cm long, densely spreading white villous, carrying a terminal umbel with 4-8 flowers; bracts obovate, unicostate, 3-6 mm × 1-3 mm, ciliate, densely covered with white multicellular hairs on abaxial surface, and sparsely villous on adaxial surface; pedicels 5-8 mm long, sparsely villous, dark reddish-brown. Calyx campanulate, 2-3 mm long, sparsely pubescent, parted to 1/2-3/4 of its length; lobes narrowly ovate, ciliate, apex obtuse, margin reddish. Corolla white with a yellow eye, limb ca. 5 mm across, lobes obovate, apex subrounded or emarginate. Stamens 0.8-1 mm, near corolla tube apex. Style ca. 2 mm. Capsules ellipsoidal, glabrous, tawny, ca. 3 mm long, splitting to the base in valves.

Phenology.

Androsace chimingiana was observed blooming from May to July and fruiting from July to August.

Etymology.

The species name honors the Chinese botanist Prof. Chi-Ming Hu, who has made outstanding contributions to the taxonomy of Primulaceae .

Distribution and habitat.

Based on the collection records over the past 138 years (since 1884, J.M. Delavay 1037, P) as well as our recent field investigation, the new species is narrowly distributed in Cangshan Mountain (Dali City and Yangbi Yi Autonomous County) and the north part of Gaoligong Mountains (Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County) in Nujiang River and Dulong River divide. However, A. mollis has a broader distribution range. It is distributed in the north part of Biluo Snow Mountain (H.R.E. Handel-Mazzetti 8896 E, K, WU; J.F. Rock 8733 E, K, SYS, US; K.M. Feng 6580, 6644 KUN; T.T. Yu 22293 KUN) and west of Meri Snow Mountain (J.F. Rock 23239 K, KUN, SYS, US) in Lancang River and Nujiang River divide and from the north part of Gaoligong Mountains in Nujiang River and Dulong River divide (J.F. Rock 21964 K, SYS, US) to the southeast Xizang (J.F. Rock 22522 K) and Upper Burma (F.K. Ward 6963 K). Both the new species and A. mollis are distributed in the north part of Gaoligong Mountains. But no sympatric populations have been observed. The distribution area of A. mollis is more northerly than the new species. The habitats of these two species are also different. The new species grows under fir forest or Rhododendron thickets at 3000-4000 m a.s.l., while A. mollis grows on alpine meadow at 3800-4400 m a.s.l.

Conservation status.

The new species is narrowly distributed in Cangshan Mountain and the north part of Gaoligong Mountains with a limited number of populations. But each population includes numerous mature individuals and the habitat is usually intact. Therefore, the conservation status of the new species is assessed as Least Concern (LC) according to the guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2022).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

China. Yunnan: Dali City, Cangshan, Alpine Garden Society Expedition to China 956 (LIV, K), G. Forrest 7108 (E), 11678 (E), 1810 (E, K), H.C. Wang 1236 (KUN barcode 0211513), H.T. Tsai 53970 (E, KUN barcode 0211538, 0211539, 0211540, SZ barcode 00061069), J.M. Delavay 1037 (E, P barcode P04907037, P01060625), 2800 (P barcode P 05191797, P04623719, P04623720), s.n. (P barcode P01060637, P 05191798), K.L. Chu 228 (SZ barcode 00061070), McLaren’s Collectors 95B (P barcode P04553735), R.C. Ching 25039 (KUN barcode 0211547, 0211548), Sino-Amer. Bot. Exped. 1049 (E, KUN barcode 0211553, US barcode 03124154), Zhongdian Exped. 63-3925 (KUN barcode 0211549, 0211550, 0211551); Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County, Salwin-Kiukiang Divide, H.R.E. Handel-Mazzetti 9280 (WU barcode WU0059689), T.T. Yu 19385 (E, KUN barcode 0211515); Yangbi Yi Autonomous County, Diancangshan, Sino-Amer. Bot. Exped. 539 (KUN barcode 0211552, US barcode 03124151).

Similar species and remarks.

The plants included in the paratype sheet (H.R.E. Handel-Mazzetti 9280, Fig. 2 ) of the new species are very small in size. Thus, the new species looks like A. mollis , but also can be easily distinguished by its obviously dimorphic leaves. The later collections from the type location and Cangshan also indicate that the leaves of new species are dimorphic and larger than A. mollis . Based on the result of our morphological observation, the new species is allied to A. hookeriana and A. laxa . All of them are laxly cespitose and both the morphology and the size of their inner leaves are similar. Handel-Mazzetti even identified the new species as A. hookeriana (e.g., signed on the sheet of G. Forrest 7108 and 1810 E). But A. hookeriana is unique by its trimorphic leaves among these three species. The new species can also be easily distinguished from the other two species by its white flowers, obovate bracts, and campanulate calyx parted more than 1/2 of its length. The main morphological differences between the new species and its allies are listed in Table 1 . In addition, the geographical isolation among these three species is significant. The new species is distributed in northwestern Yunnan, while A. hookeriana is distributed in the central Himalayas and A. laxa is distributed in Qinling-Daba Mountains.

Figures

Figure 2. Paratype sheet of Androsace chimingiana (H. R. E. Handel-Mazzetti 9280, WU barcode WU 0059689, https: // wu. jacq. org / WU 0059689).

Figure 3. Androsace chimingiana sp. nov. A habit B multicellular hairs C leaf rosette on node and inflorescence D flower E bract on adaxial and abaxial surface F corolla (dissected) G anther H capsule with persistent calyx I capsule (split in valves) J outer leaf on adaxial and abaxial surface K inner leaf on abaxial surface. Drawn by Yun-Xiao Liu.

Figure 4. Living plant of Androsace chimingiana sp. nov. A habitat B habit C leaves D inflorescence E inflorescence showing calyx F inflorescence showing bract G capsule. Photographed by Yuan Xu.