Lobelia hongiana Q.F.Wang & G.W.Hu, 2018

Li, Zhi-Zhong, Wei, Neng, Liu, Yan, Chen, Jin-Ming, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2018, Lobelia hongiana (Campanulaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, PhytoKeys 95, pp. 27-36 : 30-34

Lobelia hongiana Q.F.Wang & G.W.Hu sp. nov. Figure 1 , Table 2

Diagnosis.

The new species is distinguished from L. chinensis and L. loochooensis by its elliptic-obovate or oblanceolate leaves, usually sinuate-dentate margin; hypanthium 2.5-3 mm long, greenish-carmine; calyx lobes 5 or 6, shorter than hypanthium; corolla purplish-white, yellowish- green blotches at the base of lower lobes; glabrous filaments; broadly obconic capsule, 7-8 mm long; flowering time from May to July.

Type.

CHINA. Guangxi: Guilin City, Lingui District, Huixian Town , Huixian Wetland , 25°06.158'N, 110°12.563'E, elev. 140 m, 21 June 2016, G. W. Hu & Z. Z. Li HGW-01120 (holotype HIB!; isotype GXMG!, HIB!) .

Description.

Herbs, perennial. Stems decumbent, creeping and branched, slender, green or purple, up to 25 cm or higher, glabrous, lower nodes rooted. Leaves alternate, in 2 rows, sessile or petiole up to 2 mm; blade elliptic-obovate, or oblanceolate, thick, 2.2-9 × 1.6-5 mm, glabrous, green or purple beneath, base rounded, obtuse or broadly cuneate, margin usually coarsely sinuate-dentate or occasionally entire, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary, axillary; pedicels slender, 1.3-4.4 cm; hypanthium narrowly obconical, base attenuate, not well distinguished from pedicel, 2.5-3 mm, glabrous, greenish-carmine; calyx lobes 5 or 6, lanceolate, occasionally unevenly bifid, 1.4-2 mm long, shorter than tube, margin with 1 or 2 pair of denticles, occasionally entire. Corolla white, purplish, 9-13 mm, outside glabrous, densely white villous below throat; sub-bilabiate, lobes 5, monomorphic, ovate-lanceolate, 5-7 mm long, longer than the tube, gradually recurved outwards when open, tube split not to base on dorsal side; lower lobes 3, covered sparsely white villous, with yellowish-green blotches at the base; upper lobes 2, glabrous except occasionally covered rarely white villous; filament ca. 4 mm long, adnate to corolla tube on lower third, glabrous, connate above middle, filament tube ca. 1.5 mm; anther tube 1.2-1.5 mm, anther tube bearded with tufts of filiform hairs, ventral anthers bearing two awns, ca. 0.5 mm long. Style enclosed at connate filaments, glabrous, protruded and curved once mature; stigma bifid, puberulous. Ovary 2-locular, ovules numerous. Capsule obconic, apically 2-valved, 6-8 mm long, dehiscing loculicidally, calyx lobes persistent. Seeds narrowly elliptic, terete.

Distribution and ecology.

The new species has been found in Huixian Wetland, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China, with only two populations. There is a high probability that L. hongiana is also distributed at adjacent areas, given its vegetative propagation traits. Its living environment is wetland and farmland.

Phenology.

The new species was found in flower from May to July.

Etymology.

Species epithet, " hongiana ", is in honour of Prof. De-Yuan Hong who made a significant contribution to the authors’ knowledge of Campanulaceae .

Conservation status.

This new species was only found at Huixian Wetland in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, although it might also be distributed in adjacent areas. Until now, about 200 individuals were found in each population. Since there is not enough information on population size and dynamics, an assessment of the current conservation status of this species cannot be given. Therefore, it is suggested that the species be evaluated as Data Deficient (DD) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2001).

Other specimens examined (paratypes).

CHINA, Guangxi, Guilin City, Lingui District, Huixian Town , elev. 140 m, 8 June 2016, G. W. Hu & Z. Z. Li HGW-01117 (HIB!)

Key to the Lobelia sect. Hypsela in East Asia

1	Fruit berry, purple-red, ellipsoid or globose; stem villous, rarely glabrous; petiole puberulent	L. nummularia
-	Fruit capsule, green, subglobose or obconic; stem glabrous; petiole glabrous	2
2	Stem prostrate; leaves thick, pedicel under 2.5 cm long; hypanthium no more than 1 mm long, calyx lobes longer than hypanthium, corolla under 9 mm long; all 5 filaments sparsely hairy; capsule subglobose, no more than 5 mm long	L. loochooensis
-	Stem decumbent; leaves thin or slightly thick, pedicel up to 4 cm or longer; hypanthium more than 2.5 mm, calyx lobes not longer than hypanthium, corolla over 9 mm long; not all 5 filaments hairy; capsule obconic, more than 6 mm long	3
3	Leaves slightly thick, under 1 cm long, apex obtuse; hypanthium 2.5-3 mm long, calyx lobes 5 or 6, 1.4-2 mm long, shorter than hypanthium, corolla sub-bilabiate, corolla lobes gradually recurved when open, covered sparsely white villous, without vein; filament ca. 4 mm long, glabrous, anther tube 1.1-1.5 mm; style glabrous; capsule broadly obconic, 7-8 mm long	L. hongiana
-	Leaves thin, 0.7-2.6 cm long, apex acute or acuminate; hypanthium 3-5 mm long, calyx lobes 5, 3-5 mm long, as long as hypanthium, corolla unilabiate, corolla lobes all spreading in a plane on anterior side, glabrous, with purple veins; filament 6-8 mm long, the two anterior filaments hairy, anther tube 2-2.5 mm; style hairy; capsule narrowly obconic, 6-7 mm long	L. chinensis

Figures

Figure 1. Photos of Lobelia hongiana Q. F. Wang & G. W. Hu: morphology. A Habitat B Part of one individual C A stem bearing leaves and a flower D-G Flower viewed from different orientations H-I Fruit viewed from different orientations.