Sloanea longiaculeatae Y. F. Xie & Z. X. Zhang, 2018

Xie, Yifei, Xie, Lei & Zhang, Zhixinag, 2018, A new species and a revised of Sloanea cordifolia (Elaeocarpaceae) in China, southeast Yunnan, Phytotaxa 346 (2), pp. 189-196 : 191-193

Sloanea longiaculeatae Y. F. Xie & Z. X. Zhang , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 , 4 )

Type:— China. Yunnan: Wenshan City, Maguan County, Gulinqing , alt. 900 m, 6 Oct. 2017, Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang 2001 (holotype BJFC 00101437 ; isotype PE, BJFC) .

Tree to 15 m tall. Branchlets robust, 6–8 mm in diam., brown puberulent. Petiole 2.5cm – 5 cm, robust, pubescent. Leaf blade broadly elliptic or oblong, 11–26 cm (length) × 7–24 cm (width), thinly leathery, abaxially brown puberulent, midvein prominently raised on both surfaces, 2 mm – 3 mm wide, lateral veins 10–13 per side, very prominently raised abaxially, prominent adaxially, veinlets prominently raised abaxially, base cordate, sharp serrated edge, apex acute. Flowers axillary at twig apices, Pedicel length 3cm - 4cm, pubescent; Sepals 4 or 5, 6–8 × ca. 4–5 mm, brown pubescent, outer side is denser. Capsule dehiscent into 4 valves; valves 3.5–4cm × ca. 2 cm, 4mm – 5 mm thick, woody; prickles yellow, 7–8 mm long.

Fl. Sept., fr. Oct.

Distribution & Habitat This species is distributed Napo county (Guangxi), Maguan county and Malipo county (Yunnan). Under dense evergreen broad-leaved wood forest, or tropical monsoon forest, on the limestone slope. The region is the eastern front of a low-latitude plateau and has a subtropical eastern monsoon climate. The elevation is 123–2579 metres above sea level, the average temperature is 16.9 °C, the total accumulated temperature reached is 6169 °C. Streams and rivers form hot , warm, and cool dimensional climates at different elevations in the valley.

Etymology: ‘longiaculeatae’ means that fruit prickles are larger than Sloanea cordifolia . This species also has described as a new species by Y.M. Shui & W.H. Chen in Seed plants of the Karst region in China. But Sloanea maguanensis is a nomen nudum according to the Code (McNeill et all. 2012). And our field surveys prove that this species is not only distributed in Maguan county.

Additional specimens examined: China. Yunnan Province, Wenshan City. Malipo County, Tianbo: Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang 2027 (BJFC 00101491, 00101503, 00101505, 00101507, 00101509, 00101511, 00101512, 00101514), Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang 2028 (BJFC 00101483, 00101484, 00101492), Y. F. Xie & L. Wang 1986 (BJFC 00095725, 00095731, 00101605), Y. F. Xie & L. Wang 1798 (BJFC 00095737, 00101607, 00101608); Maguan County, Gulinqing: Y.M. Shui 32121 (PE 1732355), Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang2001 (BJFC 00101434, 00101435, 00101436, 00101438, 00101439, 00101440, 00101441, 00101453, 00101456), Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang2002 (BJFC 00101452, 00101454, 00101481), Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang2003 (BJFC 00101461).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Field photos of Sloanea longiaculeatae Y. F. Xie & Z. X. Zhang A. habitat, B. leaf adaxially, C. leaf abaxially, D. young fruit, E. fruit, F. branch. (corresponding specimen: Y.F. Xie & J. Zhang 2027)

FIGURE 4. Illustration of Sloanea longiaculeatae Y. F. Xie & Z. X. Zhang A. leaf and hairs on abaxial side, B. fruit, C. prickles. (Draw by Yun-Xi ZHU)