Saussurea fuscipappa Y.S. Chen, 2014

Chen, You-Sheng, 2014, Five new species of Saussurea (Asteraceae, Cardueae) from the Hengduan Mountains region, southwestern China, Phytotaxa 170 (3), pp. 141-154 : 141-143

1. Saussurea fuscipappa Y.S. Chen , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 6A )

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Zayü, Tsawarong, Meili Xue Shan , Shuola pass, scree slope, 28°37’58” N, 98°35’41” E, 4400 m, 22 August 2011, Y. S . Chen & Y. C . Bi 11-191 (holotype PE; isotypes PE) .

Perennial herbs, 5–25 cm tall. Rhizome usually branched, ascending or prostrate, covered with withered remains of leaves. Stems usually several, 2–4 mm in diameter, erect, apically few-branched, straw-colored to brown, sparsely arachnoid. Leaves adaxially greyish green or green, sparsely arachnoid, minutely pubescent or glabrous, abaxially greyish white, densely arachnoid; base attenuate, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acute. Rosette, basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 1–2 cm, basally sheathed; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, 5–12 × 0.5–1.2 cm; upper cauline leaves few, smaller, sessile, linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–10 × 0.2–0.7 cm, base sessile, attenuate. Capitula 3–7, 0.8– 1.0 cm in diameter, in a clustered or lax, corymbiform synflorescence. Involucre obconic, 0.8–1.0 cm in diameter. Phyllaries in 5 rows, coriaceous, black, densely to sparsely villous especially at apex, apex usually obtuse, or acute; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate, 4–5 × 3–3.5 mm, apex acute; middle phyllaries ovate-elliptic, 5–8 × 3–3.5 mm, apex obtuse; inner phyllaries linear, 9–10 × 1.8–2 mm, apex obtuse. Receptacle flat or slightly convex, densely bristly; bristles brown, subulate, 5–8 mm. Corolla purple, 1.3–1.4 cm, glabrous, tube 7–8 mm long and ca. 0.6 mm in diameter, throat ca. 2 mm long and 1.4 mm in diameter, lobes ca. 3 × 0.5 mm. Anthers ca. 6 mm long, anther tails lanate, ca. 1 mm. Achene narrowly obconic, ca. 4 × 1 mm, glabrous, ribbed, apex with a short crown. Pappus heteromorphic, biseriate; outer bristles more numerous than the inner ones, brown, scabrid, caducous, 3–4 mm long; inner bristles apically white, brown to straw-colored, plumose, persistent, connate at base, 9–12 mm long.

Distribution and habitat: — Saussurea fuscipappa is currently known from Xiangcheng County of southwestern Sichuan, Dêqên County of northwestern Yunnan and Zayü County of southeastern Xizang (Tibet). It grows on sandy grassy or scree slopes at altitudes of (2700–) 3800–4600 m.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from August to November.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the brown pappus of the new species.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — CHINA. Sichuan: Xiangcheng, east side of Daxue Shan , scree slopes, 4500–4600 m, 27 July 1998, D. E . Boufford et al. 29327 ( A) ; Yunnan: Dêqên, Baima Shan , mountain slope, 3800 m, September 1935, C . W . Wang 69673 ( A, KUN, PE); Dêqên , grassy slopes, 2700 m, September 1935, C . W .

Wang 69849 (A, KUN, PE); Dêqên, stony slopes, 3800–4000 m, 21 November 1937, T . T . Yu 15645 ( KUN, PE); Dêqên, Paima Shan (= Baima Shan ), open slope, 4130 m, 26 July 1937, T . T . Yu 9196 ( KUN, PE); Xizang: Zayü, Tsawarong , Hi-ma-la, 3900 m, August 1935, C . W . Wang 66123 ( A, KUN, PE); Zayü, from Ridong to Tsawarong , grassy and sandy slopes, 4000–4400 m, 13 July 2008, DLJ-ET 1970 ( PE) .

Discussion:— Saussurea fuscipappa possibly belongs to S. subgen. Saussurea sect. Strictae Clarke (1876: 221) because of its linear-lanceolate leaf blade with denticulate margins and lanate anther tails. The species is similar to S. ochrochlaena Handel-Mazzetti (1925: 27) but differs from the latter in its usually longer stem, not forming a large clump, and the phyllaries obtuse to acute at apex. Saussurea ochrochlaena is characterized by the usually stemless and rosulate habit, a large clump, and the phyllaries acuminate at apex.

Shih & Raab-Straube (2011) recently treated S. ochrochlaena as a synonym of S. salwinensis Anthony (1934: 211) . We agree these two taxa belong to one species, but S. ochrochlaena is an older legitimate name, so S. salwinensis should be treated as a synonym of S. ochrochlaena . Saussurea ochrochlaena occurs in Dêqên, Gongshan and Weixi Counties of northwestern Yunnan and Zayü County of southeastern Xizang at altitudes of 3500–4900 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Saussurea fuscipappa. A. Habit. B. Phyllaries (from left to right: outer to inner series). C. Style branches. D. Floret, with pappus removed. E. Inner pappus. F. Outer pappus. G. Adaxial leaf surface. H. Abaxial leaf surface. I. floret. J. Anther.All from Y.S. Chen & Y.C. Bi 11-191 (PE). Illustration by Mr. Y.X. Zhu.

FIGURE 6. Saussurea fuscipappa (A) and S. pseudorockii (B) in the wild.