Saussurea shangrilaensis Y. S. Chen, 2014

Chen, You-Sheng, 2014, The identity of Saussurea rhytidocarpa, and a new species of Saussurea (Asteraceae) from China, Phytotaxa 172 (2), pp. 123-128 : 123-127

Saussurea shangrilaensis Y. S. Chen , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3B & 3D )

Saussurea rhytidocarpa sensu Chen & Li (1994: 2119) and Shih & Jin (1999: 135), non Handel-Mazzetti (1938)

Type:— CHINA. Sichuan: Daocheng, Kongkaling, Tsungu , margin of woods, 3700 m, 29 August 1937, T. T . Yu 12985 (holotype PE; isotypes A, KUN, PE) .

Herbs 3–20 cm tall, perennial, stemmed. Caudex slender, usually branched, covered with remains of petioles, often with several leaf rosettes and flowering shoots. Stem purplish, arachnoid lanate, usually several. Rosette leaves petiolate; petiole 1–4 cm, ca. 1 mm wide; leaf blade linear-oblong, 3–10 × 0.6–1.5 cm, pinnatisect, abaxially greyish white, densely tomentose, adaxially green to purplish, glabrous; segments in 5–11 pairs, oblong or ovate, margin dentate, apex triangular acute and mucronate; rachis less than 1 mm wide, not winged. Cauline leaves few, small, petiolate, distinctly smaller than basal leaves, and usually with small leaves supporting the capitula. Capitula solitary, terminal on stem. Involucre campanulate, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter. Phyllaries in 5 rows, purplish green, sparsely lanate, green at margin, outer phyllaries linear, 12–16 × 1–1.4 mm, apex acuminate; middle phyllaries lanceolate, 12–15 × ca. 2 mm, apex acuminate; inner phyllaries linear-lanceolate, 14–16 × 1–1.4 mm, apex acuminate. Receptacle bristles linear, 1–2.2 mm long. Corolla purplish, 1.4–1.5 cm long, tube 5–6 cm long, limb to 7–9 mm long, lobes 4–5 mm long. Anther ca. 6 mm long, basal appendices lacerate tails ca. 1 mm long. Achene cylindric, ca. 3 mm, transversely rugose, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 1.6–3 mm long, scabrid; inner bristles ca. 1 cm long, plumose.

Distribution and habitat:— Saussurea shangrilaensis only occurs in southwestern Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan of China. It grows in forest margins on rocks or sandy slopes at altitudes of 3650–4500 m.

Phenology:—Flowering from July to September.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is derived from the region where the new species is distributed, “Great Shangrila”, including Shangrila in Yunnan and Daocheng in Sichuan.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — CHINA. Sichuan: Daocheng, Yading , sandy soils, 3900 m, 23 July 2007, Y . S . Chen 7151 ( PE); Daocheng, Yading, margin of Abies forest , on rocks or sandy soils, 3700–4000 m, 28 August 2009, Y . S . Chen 9638 ( PE); Daocheng, Dongyi , Kasi , under forest of Quercus semecarpifolia , 3900 m, 1 September 1981, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 5997 ( PE); Jiulong, NW of the city of Jiulong at Wuxu Hai scenic area, slopes and adjacent limestone cliffs and sandy scree slopes, 3665–4460 m, 4 August 2010, D. E . Boufford et al. 42623 ( A, PE) ; Yunnan: Shangri-la, Gezan, Hongshan , forest margin on rocks, 3900 m, 31 August 2009, Y . S . Chen 9682 ( PE); Shangri-la, Nixi, Yagong snow mountain, meadows, 4000 m, 31 August 2010, Kham Expedition 10-3034 ( PE) .

Discussion:— Saussurea shangrilaensis obviously belongs to S. subgen. Saussurea sect. Strictae Clarke (1876: 221) because of its pinnately lobed leaves and solitary capitula.

Saussurea shangrilaensis is most similar to S. polystichoides Hooker (1881: 369) in its habit, slender stem, pinnatisect leaves with denate margin, rachis less than 1 mm wide, not winged or slightly winged. Saussurea shangrilaensis is mainly different from S. polystichoides by its patent phyllaries, transversely rugose achenes, and leaf segments with 1–4 teeth, whereas S. polystichoides is distinct by its apices of inner phyllaries appressed, apices of outermost phyllaries patent, achenes ribbed and smooth, and leaf segments with 5–9 teeth.

Saussurea shangrilaensis is also similar to S. leiocarpa Handel-Mazzetti (1938: 330) in its pinnatisect leaves, leaf segment dentate with 1–4 teeth. Saussurea shangrilaensis is different from S. leiocarpa by its distinct stem, leaf segment oblong or ovate, rachis usually unwinged, phyllaries patent, achnes transversely rugose, while as S. leiocarpa is distinct by its plants stemless or shortly stemmed, leaf segment quadrangular or triangular, rachis winged, phyllaries reflexed, achenes smooth.

Saussurea shangrilaensis is similar to S. leontodontoides in its pinnatisect leaves, and transversely rugose achenes. Saussurea shangrilaensis is clearly different from S. leontodontoides in its distinct stem, uppermost leaves supporting capitula, rachis less than 1 mm wide, capitula smaller, phyllaries narrower and with patent apices, and pappus much shorter. Saussurea leontodontoides is different from S. shangrilaensis by its plants usually stemless or rarely shortly stemmed, uppermost stem leaves not supporting capitula, rachis 2–5 mm wide, winged, capitula usually larger, phyllaries broader and with appressed apices, pappus longer. Comparison of the type material of S. rhytidocarpa and S. shangrilaensis is shown in Fig. 3 .

The distribution ranges of S. shangrilaensis and its related species are somewhat different: S. shangrilaensis occurs in southern Hengduan Mountains, S. leontodontoides occurs widely in the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau, S. leiocarpa occurs in northern Hengduan Mountains(western Sichuan), whereas S. polystichoides occurs in the Himalayas.

Comparisons of S. shangrilaensis and other similar species, including S. leiocarpa , S. leontodontoides and S. polystichoides , are summarized in Table 1.

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Figures

FIGURE 1. Saussurea shangrilaensis. A. Habit. B. Phyllaries (from left to right: outer to inner series). C. Style branches. D. Adaxial leaf surface. E. Floret. F. Outer pappus. G. Floret, with pappus removed. H. Inner pappus. I. Abaxial leaf surface. J. Anther. All from Kham Expedition 10-3034.

FIGURE 2. Saussurea shangrilaensis in the wild. From Kham Expedition 10-3034.

FIGURE 3. Comparison of type materials of Saussurea rhytidocarpa (A & C) and S. shangrilaensis (B & D). A & C from H. Smith 3443. B & D from T. T. Yu 12985.