Primulina qingyuanensis Z. L. Ning & Ming Kang, 2013

Ning, Zu-Lin, Wang, Jing, Smith, James F. & Kang, Ming, 2013, Primulina qingyuanensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from limestone areas in Guangdong, China, Phytotaxa 137 (1), pp. 48-52 : 48-51

Primulina qingyuanensis Z. L. Ning & Ming Kang , sp. nov. ( Fig.1–2 )

Type: — CHINA. Guangdong: Qingyuan City, Qingxin county, Shitan Town , 24.15°N, 112.73°E, on limestone rock face in a Karst cave ; 16 Dec. 2011, Ming Kang etal QY11001 (holotype: IBSC!) .

Perennial herbs, acaulescent. Rhizome subterete, 1.5–2 cm long, ca. 1 cm in diameter. Leaves 7–16, all basal. Petiole 1.5–3 cm long, ca. 5 mm wide, pubescent; Leaf blade ovate or broadly ovate, often falcate, 5–10 × 4– 7 cm, herbaceous, apex acute to obtuse, base broadly cuneate, margin irregularly repand-crenate to serrate and revolute, both surfaces densely glandular manicate; lateral veins 4 or 5 on each side of the midrib, impressed adaxially and prominent abaxially. Cymes 4–7, 1–3–branched, 3–9-flowered; peduncle 9–14 cm long, pubescent; bracts 2, opposite, oblanceolate, often falcate, 2–3.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm, margin entire, apex long acuminate, pubescent. Pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm long, pubescent. Calyx 5-lobed nearly to the base, linear-lanceolate or narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 8–10 × ca. 1 mm, margin entire, outside densely pubescent, inside sparsely puberulent. Corolla purplish, 1.9–2.4 cm long, sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside; tube narrowly funnelform, 1.5–1.6 cm long, orifice 6–8 mm in diameter; adaxial lip distinctly 2-lobed, 1/4–1/3 of total corolla length, lobes triangular-ovate, 5–7 × 5–6 mm, apex obtuse; abaxial lip 3-lobed, 1/3 to 2/5 of total corolla length, lobes oblong, 7–9 × 5–6 mm, held in more or less the same plane as the corolla tube and appearing as an extension of the tube, lobe apices rounded. Fertile stamens 2, adnate to ca. 7 mm above the base of the corolla tube; filaments geniculate near the middle, 7–8 mm long, densely purple piloglandulose, anthers flabellate, glabrous. Staminodes 2, 4– 5 mm long, glabrous, slightly enlarged at apex, adnate ca. 5 mm above the base of the corolla tube. Disc annular, ca. 0.5 mm high, glabrous, margin repand. Pistil ca. 1.3 cm long; ovary linear, 4–5 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, densely glandular-pubescent; style 8–10 mm long, densely glandular-pubescent; stigma cuneate, ca. 1 mm, 2-lobed. Capsule linear, ca. 1 cm long, 1.5–2 mm in diameter, slightly curved, pubescent. Flowering occurs in May.–Jul. Fruiting in Jul.–Aug.

Distribution and habitat:— Primulina qingyuanensis is a narrow endemic currently known only from one population on moist rock faces in a single Karst cave, near the town of Shitan, Qingxin County, Qingyuan City, Northern Guangdong, China. During field surveys in Qingyuan, we found that the population size is small. It is estimated that the number of individuals is no more than 100 plants. We propose that Primulina qingyuanensis should be considered as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) according to IUCN Red List and criteria (IUCN 2001). At present, we have introduced some individuals from the field population into cultivation in the South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China.

Phenology: — Flowering occurs in May.–Jul. and fruiting occurs in Jul.–Aug.

Relationships: — Primulina qingyuanensis is similar to P. bicolor (Wang 1985: 59) Möller & Weber (2011: 781) , but differs by the leaf blades that are ovate or broadly ovate, bracts oblanceolate, often falcate, 2– 3.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm, apex long acuminate, corolla glabrous inside, 1.8–2.4 cm long, tube 1.5–1.6 cm long, orifice 6–8 mm in diameter, adaxial lip 2-lobed triangular-ovate, 5–6 × ca. 5 mm, abaxial lip 3-lobed oblong, 7–9 × 3–4 mm; filaments of fertile stamens densely purple piloglandulose, anthers flabellate, glabrous, and staminodes 2, glabrous. A detailed morphological comparison of the two species is shown in Table 1.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality, Qingyuan City,

Guangdong province, China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Primulina qingyuanensis. A. Habit. B. Bracts. C. Pistil. D. Stigma. E. Flower side view. F. Stamens. G. Capsule. H. Corolla opened showing stamens and staminodes. Illustration by Yun-Xiao Liu, based on the holotype.

FIGURE 2. Primulina qingyuanensis. A. The frontal view of flower. B. Corolla opened showing stamens and staminodes. C. Flower abaxial view. D. Flower side view. E. Flower adaxial view. F, I. Stamens side view. G. Bracts. H. Pistil. J. Calyx. K. Plant cultivated SCBG. L. Habit.