Sadiria longistyla Ze H.Wang & H.Peng, 2018

Wang, Li-Yan, Wang, Ze-Huan, Chen, Li, Zhao, Fei & Li, Rong-Jia, 2018, Sadiria longistyla (Myrsinoideae, Primulaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 345 (3), pp. 293-297 : 295-296

Sadiria longistyla Ze H.Wang & H.Peng , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Similar to S. eugenifolia (Wallich ex A.de Candolle 1834: 120) Mez (1902: 182) var. burmanica M.P.Nayar & G.S.Giri (1974: 146) ( Fig. 2C ), but could be well distinguished by the following characters: leaves on the flowering branches few (2–4) and large (13–17 × 4.5–6 cm), elliptic to obovate; lateral veins 13–20 pairs; inflorescences fasciculate cymose, large (ca. 2.5 cm long); pedicels long (ca. 6–8 mm); sepals 1/8 length of the petals; petals large (ca. 4 mm long), 3/4 united; stamens ca. 3/5 length of the petals; and styles twice length of the petals at the end of flowering.

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan Town, Jianbian Village, Mai-yi-qing Mountain, 24.626°N, 97.620°E, elev. ca. 1610 m, 18 May 2017, Wang et al. WZH201705_001 (holotype KUN1342914!).

Shrubs 0.5–1.2 [–1.5] m tall. Branchlets angulate, 1–2.5 mm in diameter, greyish puberulent, glabrescent. Six (rarely five or seven) leaves clustered on the plant apex, 17–21 × 5–7 cm, base slightly auricular; leaves on the flowering branches usually 2–4, smaller, 13–17 × 4.5–6 cm, base broadly cuneate or obtuse. Leaves papery, glabrous, leaf blade elliptic to obovate, margin slightly crisped and shallowly crenate, apex acuminate to slightly caudate; lateral veins 13–20 pairs on each side of midrib, abaxially raised, atypically marginal veins present. Petioles 5–8 mm long, sparsely puberulent. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate cymose, ca. 2.5 cm long, sparsely puberulent, always pendulous. Flowers papery, ca. 4 mm long, 5-merous, narrowly opened at the end of flowering. Pedicels ca. 6–8 mm long, gradually expanded upwards, sparsely puberulent. Sepals ovate, ca. 0.5 mm long, 1/8 length of the petals, sparsely puberulent, light red punctate, margin white and ciliate, apex acute. Petals ca. 4 mm long, 3/4 united; lobes broadly ovate, glabrous, sparsely orangish punctate on both sides, base slightly auriculate, margin entire, apex obtuse. Stamens ca. 3/5 length of the petals; filaments sub-obsolete; anthers ovate to elliptic, punctate dorsally, dehiscent by longitudinal slits, apex long caudate. Pistils equal to the petals at the beginning of flowering; ovaries conical, glabrous; styles elongated with flowering to twice length of the petals, spiculate, glabrous; stigmas punctiform. Young fruits green to light yellow, punctate; ripe fruits blackish red, apple-like and glabrous, ca. 1 cm in diameter. Seed one, globose, 5–6 mm in diameter.

Distribution and Habitat: — Sadiria longistyla is currently only known from Tongbiguan Town, Yingjiang County, where three small subpopulations were discovered in an area of ca. 700 m 2. It grows in the damp area under the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in valleys at elevation range of 1350–1630 m.

Phenology: —Flowering from November to April of the next year, and fruiting all over the year, i.e. young fruits can be seen since May, and become red and blackish red in April of the next year.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ longistyla ” refers to the impressively long style extending out of the petals.

Other specimens examined: — CHINA. Yunnan: Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan Town, elev. 1350 m, 10 November 1974, Guo-Da Tao 013351 (KUN0245384!).

Notes:— Sadiria eugenifolia var. burmanica is distributed in Myanmar and occurs in the region of Myitkyina District at an elevation of ca. 1100 m ( Nayar & Giri 1974). Morphologically, it shares the floriferous inflorescences and impressively long styles of flowers with S. longistyla , but can be distinguished by morphology of the leaves on the flowering branches, inflorescences, petals and styles, length of pedicels, sepals and stamens (Table 1).

TABLE 1. Morphological comparison among Sadiria longistyla , S. eugenifolia var. burmanica and S. aberrans .

The recently transferred Sadiria aberrans is the only representative of this genus in China ( Hu & Deng 2012). As an endemic species, it is restricted to the Pingbian County, southeast Yunnan and occurs in the damp area under the evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys at elevation range of 1100–1360 m ( Chen 1977, 1979, Chen & Pipoly 1996). Despite the similarity in the distribution and habitat, it is distinguishable from this new species by the morphology of the leaves on the flowering branches, inflorescences, petals and styles, length of pedicels, sepals and stamens (Table 1).

An identification key for all taxa of Sadiria is provided here.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sadiria longistyla. A. plants with new branches and six apical leaves; B. plants at flowering; C. flowering branches with inflorescences; D. fasciculate cymose inflorescences; E. infructescences; F. light yellow fruits; G. red fruits; H. blackish red, apple-like fruits; I. sepals and pistil; J. corolla and stamens.

FIGURE 2. Comparison among Sadiria longistyla, S. aberrans and S. eugenifolia var. burmanica. A. S. longistyla: A1. holotype (KUN1342914!); B. S. aberrans: B1. holotype (US00116363!); C. S. eugenifolia var. burmanica: C1. isotype (E00273844!). Shown below are their inflorescences (A2, B2 and C2), sepals, corollas and pistils (A3, B3 and C3), and corollas and stamens (A4, B4 and C4).