Taxonomic studies on Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) from China (I): two new species from southwestern Guangdong province Zeng, You-Pai Xu, Ye-Chun Chen, Guo-Di Phytotaxa 2025 2025-07-24 711 2 157 169 Y. P. Zeng Y. P. Zeng 2025 [164,593,1169,1196] Magnoliopsida Lamiaceae Scutellaria Plantae Lamiales 7 164 Tracheophyta species yangchunensis sp. nov.    Type:— CHINA. Guangdong province: Yangchuncity, Chunwan town, 111.9316929°E, 22.43848166°N, on limestone slopes,  100 ma.s.l.,  10 March 2023,  Y. P. Zeng& G. D. Chen603( holotype IBSC; isotypes IBSC).   Diagnosis:—Morphologically  Scutellaria yangchunensisresembles  S. wongkei( Figs. 4, 5) in habit and in having upwardly curved hairs on the stem and rachis, bracts similar to leaves and gradually reduced, and bluish or lilac flowers, but differs for its leaves and bracts shallowly serrate or entire (vs. crenate) at the margin ( Figs. 4B, 5B, D, 8D, E), hirtellous only on veins (vs. totally hirtellous on both sides) ( Figs. 4B, 5D, 8D), and middle lobe of lower lip of corolla dark purple spotted (vs. whitish) ( Figs. 5B, D, 8F, H). From  S. albovillosa,  S. yangchunensisis readily distinguishable by having short (ca. 0.1 mmvs. ca. 0.5 mmlong), upwardly curved and eglandular (vs. erect and glandular) hairs on the stem and rachis ( Figs. 2B, C, 8B, C), leaves and bracts shallowly serrate or entire (vs. crenate) ( Figs. 2D, E, 8D, E), and corolla tube base not saccate (vs. saccate, with a ca. 0.8 mmlong sac) ( Figs. 2F, 8F). A detailed comparison of the three species is given in Table 1.   Description:—Perennial herb. Roots fibrous. Stems erect, woody at the base, 20–60 cmtall, much branched, densely hirtellous, hairs upwardly curved, ca. 0.1 mmlong. Leaf blades ovate, 0.3–2.8 cmlong, 0.3–1.4 mmbroad, papery, short hirtellous on the veins, base rounded, very occasionally subcordate, apex obtuse, margin shallowly serrate or entire; petioles 0.5–1.3 cmlong. Inflorescence on branchlets, racemose, few-flowered; bracts leaflike and gradually reduced as entire; pedicel 1.8–2 mmlong, densely glandular villose. Calyx ca. 2 mmlong in flower, ca. 2.5 mmin fruit, densely glandular villose outside; scutellum ca. 1 mmlong in flower, ca. 2 mmlong in fruit. Corolla whitish lilac or bluish purple, 1.4–1.6 cmlong, glandular pilose outside, sparsely pilose on lip inside; tube suberect, base slightly bending, to 2.6 mmbroad at throat; middle lobe of lower lip dark purple spotted, broadly-ovate, slightly constricted at middle, apex emarginate; lateral lobes ovate. Stamens 4, in two pairs, one pair ca. 4 mmlong, the other pair ca. 9 mmlong; filament villose at base. Ovary 4-parted, subglobose, smooth. Style ca. 1.5 cmlong, glabrous. Nutlets chestnut to dark brown when dry, ovoid, ca. 1 mmin diam., tuberculate, adaxially umbonate near base.   Distribution and habitat:  Scutellaria yangchunensisis currently known only from its typelocality, i.e. Yangchun city in southwestern Guangdong province, China( Fig. 6). It grows on limestone slopes at an elevation of 150 ma.s.l.  Phenology:—Flowering from March to April.   Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the typelocality of the new species, i.e. Yangchun city in Guangdong province, China.   FIGURE 8.  Scutellaria yangchunensisin the wild (Yangchun city in Guangdong, China, the type locality). A. Roots. B. Portion of stems. C. Portion of rachis. D. Leaves (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side), insets showing the indumentum. E. Bracts. F. Flowers. G. Calyx in flower. H. Corolla dissection. I. Stamens. J. Ovary and style. K. Calyx dissection in fruit. L. Nutlets (above: front view; below: lateral view).   FIGURE 9. Holotype sheet of Scutellaria yangchunensis.  Vernacular name:— Ḇǝffẓ, yang chun huang qin in Chinese Pinyin.  Conservation status:—  Scutellaria yangchunensisis currently known only from its typelocality, Yangchun city. Only approximately 50 individuals were discovered in this population and are quite vulnerable to human activities, as this population is situated very closely to residential area (less than 200 m). Similar to  S. albovillosa, all our knowledge of this new species relies on the single population we visited, the conservation status of  S. yangchunensisthus should also be considered as “Data Deficient (DD)”. 2023-03-10 Y, P, G, IBSC Zeng & D. Chen China Type 100 22.438482 Chunwan town 1 111.931694 Yangchun 7 164 2 Guangdong holotype