Youngia wulingensis T.Deng, D.G.Zhang & Qun Liu

Liu, Qun, Zhang, Ting, Lin, Nan, Zhang, Dai-Gui, Huang, Xian-Han, Yang, Jing-Yuan, Tojiboeva, Umida, Zhang, Jian-Wen & Deng, Tao, 2024, Rediscovery of Youngia longipes reveals a new species of Youngia (Asteraceae) in China, Phytotaxa 655 (1), pp. 21-36 : 30

Youngia wulingensis T.Deng, D.G.Zhang & Qun Liu , sp. nov.

Type: — CHINA. Hunan Province, Dehang geological park, 28 July 2017, D. G. Zhang & Qun Liu HAC-D1 (holotype KUN [barcode 1601580!]; isotypes HAC-D2, HAC-D3) .

Herbs perennial, 1.5–2 m tall. Taproot oblique, fleshy, with lateral roots ( Fig. 1d ). Stems erect, branched from the base, with curly reddish-brown hairs, especially dense in shoots. Basal leaves blade cordate, sometimes ovate-cordate ( Fig. 2d 1 ), petioles up to 10 cm long, 6–15 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, apex acute, margin irregularly lobed or triangularserrate, apex cuspidate, base shallowly cordate, overlapping ( Fig. 2d 2,3,4); middle and upper cauline leaves similar to basal leaves but narrower; leaf blade abaxially often purplish red, especially in basal leaves; inflorescence leaves small, lanceolate or narrowly linear on branches, with a short petiole, apex acuminate. Inflorescence corymbiform with numerous small capitula. Involucre cylindrical, 5–6 mm long, with a keel-like process in the centre. Phyllaries in 4 rows; outer ovate, less than 1 mm long and wide; inner lanceolate, 5–6 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, apex acute, margin narrowly white membranous. Florets 20, ligulate ( Fig. 1b ), ligules 4–6 × 1–2 mm, teeth 0.2–0.4 mm long, tube 3–4 mm; anther tube ca. 2.5 mm long; style branches ca. 0.5 mm long. Achenes light red, fusiform, ca. 2 mm long, slightly narrowed toward the apex, apically truncate, without a beak; ribs 10–12 ( Fig. 2c 1,2). Pappus white, ca. 4 mm long, scabrous. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Aug–Oct.

Distribution and habitat: — Youngia wulingensis is currently known from Wuling mountain area, western Hunan, China. It grows under the forest canopy or at the edge of the forest below elevations of 600 m.

Vernacular name:—武DWDZự, Wǔ líng huáng ān cài in Chinese Pinyin.

Etymology: —The epithet indicates the type locality, i.e. Wuling mountain area, China.

Other specimens examined: — Youngia longipes : holotype K [barcode K000808279 !], PE [barcode 01691155]; Youngia wulingensis : CSFI [barcode 035711, 035712], CSH [barcode 0093062, 0093895], JIU [barcode 06031, 08894, 10948, 12598, 12599, 12600, 22177, 23083, 24798, 36786, 40257, 40355, 40368, 45833, 51807, 52748, 61459, 62325, 66412, 66637, 68007].

Figures

FIGURE 1. Youngia wulingensis T.Deng, D.G.Zhang & Qun Liu. A. Inflorescence; B. Habitat (photos by Tao Deng); C. Basal leaves; D. Roots (photos by Qun Liu).

FIGURE 2. Youngia wulingensis T.Deng, D.G.Zhang & Qun Liu. a1–a3. Capitula; b1–b3. Involucre; c1–c2. Achene; d1–d4. Basal leaves (from HAC-D2, photos by Qun Liu).