Camellia mingii S.X.Yang, 2019

Liu, Zhen-Wen, Fang, Wei, Liu, En-De, Zhao, Ming, He, Yao-Feng & Yang, Shi-Xiong, 2019, Camellia mingii, a new species of yellow camellias from Southeast Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 393 (1), pp. 47-56 : 52-53

Camellia mingii S.X.Yang , sp. nov. (ǠṪḰAEḞ), ( Figs. 2 & 3)

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Funing County, Xinhua town , on limestone in evergreen broad-leaved forest, 23°39′59″N ɼ 105°40′35″E, elev. ca. 1100 m, 25 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5610 (holotype KUN-1347101; isotype KUN, PE) .

Diagnosis:— Camellia mingii is similar to C. pubipetala , but differs in its spiral arrangement of bracteoles and sepals; its lunate, reniform or broadly ovate bracteoles and sepals, puberulent inside and glabrous outside indumentum of bracteoles and sepals; its petals suborbicular, puberulent indumentum on both surfaces; and its indumentum of inner filaments puberulent to ca. 2/3 from the base ( Table 2, Fig. 3).

Description: — Shrubs, 2–4 m tall. Young branches cylindrical, brown to dark brown, densely spreading yellowish villous. Petiole 5–7 mm, indumentum similar to that of young branches; leaf blade thinly leathery, elliptic-ovate to narrowly ovate, (9–) 10–15(–17) x 4–6 cm, margin sparsely serrulate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate base broadly cuneate to rounded, adaxially dark green, shiny, glabrous, abaxially pale green and dark brown glandular punctuate, appressed villous but densely spreading villous along veins, secondary veins 7–10 on each side of midvein, abaxially elevated and adaxially impressed. Flowers subterminal axillary, solitary or rarely, 2-numerous in clusters, 4.5–5.5 cm in diameter; pedicel ca. 3–6 mm long or subsessile. Bracteoles 4 or 5, unequal, 1.5 x 1.5–3 x 6 mm, ovate or broadly ovate to lunate, outside light green, glabrous or midrib sparsely puberulent, inside light yellow, densely puberulent, margin ciliolate. Sepals light green, 5 or 6, broadly ovate to rounded-reniform, 5 x 10–9 x 13 mm, outside glabrous or nearly glabrous, inside light yellow and densely puberulent, margin ciliolate. Petals 12 or 13, suborbicular, golden yellow, basally connate for 1–3 mm, outer petals ca. 1.8 x 2 cm; inner petals ca. 2.7 x 3.3 cm, puberulent on both surfaces. Stamens numerous, ca. 3 cm long; outer filaments connate ca. basal 1/2, puberulent, inner filaments nearly distinct, puberulent to ca. 2/3 from base. Ovary ovoid, 3-locular, 2–3 mm in diam., light yellow, densely tomentose. Style ca. 3 cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. apex 3-lobed, cleft ca. 2–3 mm. Capsule oblate, 5–7 x 2–3 cm; 3-locular; seeds 2 or 3 per locule; pericarp ca. 5–8 mm thick; nearly glabrous, puberulent only at apex and base. Seeds brown to dark brown, hemispherical, ca. 1 cm in diam., pubescent.

Phenology: — Flowering from December to February of following year; fruiting from September to November.

Distribution, habitat and conservation status— Camellia mingii is a local endemic, currently known only from Funing County, Yunnan Province, China ( Fig. 4 ). It grows on limestone in evergreen broad-leaved forests at elevation of 800–1300 m associated with Ficus sp. ( Moraceae ), Mallotus sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ), Alangium sp. ( Cornaceae ), Schefflera sp. ( Araliaceae ), Itoa orientalis Hemsl. ( Salicaceae ), Malania oleifera Chun & S.K.Lee ( Olacaceae ), Cipadessa baccifera (Roth) Miq. ( Meliaceae ), Mussaenda sp. ( Rubiaceae ), Embelia sp. ( Primulaceae ), Sabia sp. ( Sabiaceae ), Clematis sp. ( Ranunculaceae ), Rhaphidophora decursiva (Roxb.) Schott ( Araceae ), Piper sp. ( Piperaceae ), Vitis sp. ( Vitaceae ), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino ( Cucurbitaceae ), Thladiantha sp. ( Cucurbitaceae ), Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. ( Cannabaceae ), Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. ( Rubiaceae ), Alocasia cucullata (Lour.) G.Don ( Araceae ), Loxostigma griffithii (Wight) C.B.Clarke ( Gesneriaceae ), Alpinia sp. ( Zingiberaceae ), Disporum sp. ( Colchicaceae ), Pollia sp. ( Commelinaceae ), Elatostema sp. ( Urticaceae ), Begonia sp. ( Begoniaceae ), Impatiens sp. ( Balsaminaceae ), Pteracanthus sp. ( Acanthaceae ), Dryopteris sp. ( Dryopteridaceae ), Clerodendrum serratum var. amplexifolium Moldenke ( Lamiaceae ), Oxyspora paniculata DC. ( Melastomataceae ), Sambucus adnata Wall. ex DC. ( Adoxaceae ), Polygonum sp. ( Polygonaceae ), Achyranthes bidentata Blume ( Amaranthaceae ), etc. So far, we know of only three populations in Funing County. There are about 150 individuals at each site in the towns of Xinhua and Banlun, but there are fewer than 30 individuals in the town of Guichao. Camellia mingii is not in a conservation area and there are plausible threats because it has great commercial value. According to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2017), the category of Critically Endangered (CR) is recommended for C. mingii .

Etymology:— The specific epithet is in honor of Tien-lu Ming, an expert of the family Theaceae .

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Funing County, Xinhua town , 23°39′59″N ɼ 105°40′35″E, elev. ca. 1100 m, 25 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5611 ( KUN), 26 September 2017, S. X. Yang 5648, 5649, 5650 ( KUN) ; Guichao town , 23°32′43″N ɼ 105°51′28″E, elev. ca. 800 m, 26 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5612, 5613 ( KUN) ; Banlun town , 23°39′17″N ɼ 105°44′06″E, elev. ca. 1226 m, 6 January 2018, S. X. Yang 5679, 5681 ( KUN) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Camellia mingii S.X.Yang. A. Habit. B. Habitat. C. Adaxial leaves. D. Abaxial leaves. E. Flower. F. Ovary and style. G. Stamens. H. Petals. I. Fruit. J. Seeds. Scale=1cm.

FIGURE 4. Map showing distribution of Camellia mingii in southeast of Yunnan, China.