Bredia hispida J.H. Dai & Ying Liu, 2020

Dai, Jin-Hong, Zhou, Qiu-Jie, Zhou, Ren-Chao & Liu, Ying, 2020, A new species of Bredia (Sonerileae, Melastomataceae) from Sichuan, China, PhytoKeys 152, pp. 1-14 : 1

Bredia hispida J.H. Dai & Ying Liu sp. nov. Figures 2 , 3 , 6

Type.

China. Sichuan: Xuyong County, Shui-wei town, Guang-mu village, 1338 m, on steep rock cliff of a small waterfall, 1 Sept 2019, Ying Liu 764 (holotype: PE; isotype: A, SYS).

Diagnosis.

Resembles B. changii , B. repens and B. guidongensis in the prostrate habit and isomorphic stamens but differs from these species in its unequal leaves (vs. equal), stiffly papery leaf blade (vs. papery) hispid with 2-4 mm long, spreading stout bristles (vs. pubescent or villous with trichomes ≤ 1 mm) and acuminate apex (vs. obtuse or acute).

Description.

Subshrubs, up to 15 cm tall. Stems cylindrical, inconspicuously pubescent with very short, uniseriate appressed trichomes, prostrate at middle and lower parts, branched, with adventitious roots. Opposed leaves often unequal; petiole 0.6-5 cm long, inconspicuously pubescent; leaf blade ovate to ovate elliptic, larger blades 4-9.9 × 1.6-4 cm, smaller blades 1.1-5 × 0.7-2.5 cm, stiffly papery, abaxial surface pale green, inconspicuously pubescent, adaxial surface green to yellowish green, inconspicuously pubescent, hispid with spreading stout white bristles (2-4 mm long) between veins, lateral veins 2 or 3 pairs, base cordate, margin inconspicuously serrulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, sometimes on old branchlets; 2-3-flowered cyme or solitary. Peduncle 2-10 cm long, pubescent with uniseriate appressed trichomes. Flowers bisexual, radial but androecium slightly bilateral, 4-merous, rarely 5-merous. Pedicels and calyces pubescent with uniseriate appressed trichomes and multiseriate spreading glandular trichomes. Pedicels 7-16 mm long. Hypanthium cup-shaped, ca. 4 × 4 mm, pubescent with spreading glandular trichomes. Calyx lobes 4, linear-lanceolate, ca. 3-4 mm long. Petals 4, purplish pink, ovate, 7 × 5 mm, slightly oblique, apex acute. Stamens 8, isomorphic, subequal in length, 8-10 mm long. Anthers purplish, bilocular, lanceolate, ca. 4-5.5 mm long, base slightly gibbous, connective decurrent, forming a tuberculate appendage dorsally. Ovary half inferior, locules 4, placentation axillary, ovary apex with a membranous crown, crown margin ciliate with glandular trichomes. Style ca. 11 mm long, puberulous in the lower part. Young fruit cup-shaped, apex crowned, crown exserted from hypanthium. Seeds numerous, premature.

Phenology.

Flowering July-September, young fruits in September.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is based on the spreading stout bristles on the leaf blade of this species.

Distribution.

Bredia hispida is currently known from Xuyong County, southeastern Sichuan, China (Fig. 7 ). It occurs on damp steep red sandstone cliff, often below a seasonal waterfall, at 1000-1400 m.

Additional specimen examined.

China. Sichuan: Xuyong County, Shui-wei town, Guan-dou village, 15 Sept 2013, W. B. Ju and H. N. Deng, HGX13524 (CDBI); Xuyong County, Shui-wei town, Guang-mu village, 27 Aug 2013, W. B. Ju and H. N. Deng, HGX12702 (CDBI); Xuyong County, Long-feng town, Ling-guan-ti power station, 4 Aug 2012, X. F. Gao, Y. D. Gao and W. B. Ju, HGX10961 (CDBI).

Figures

Figure 2. Bredia hispida. A Habitat B a flowering branch, showing the prostrate habit C adaxial leaf surface D abaxial leaf surface E lateral view of leaf, showing the stout long bristles F terminal inflorescence G axillary inflorescences on old branchlets. All from Y. Liu 764 (A, PE, SYS).

Figure 3. Floral details and young fruit of Bredia hispida. A Side view of a flower B top view of a flower C longitudinal section of a flower showing isomorphic stamens and ovary crown D top view of a young fruit E side view of a young fruit showing enlarged ovary crown exserted from hypanthium. Scale bar: 5 mm (C). All from Y. Liu 764 (A, PE, SYS).

Figure 6. Holotype of Bredia hispida, Y. Liu 764 (PE). Scale bar: 5 cm.

Figure 7. Distribution of Bredia hispida (triangle).