Bredia enchengensis J. H. Dai, Yan Liu & S. Y. Nong, 2022

Dai, Jin-Hong, Nong, Shi-Yue, Guo, Xi-Bin, Do, Truong Van, Liu, Yan, Zhou, Ren-Chao & Liu, Ying, 2022, Three new species of Bredia (Sonerileae, Melastomataceae) from the Sino-Vietnamese border area, PhytoKeys 195, pp. 107-125 : 107

Bredia enchengensis J. H. Dai, Yan Liu & S. Y. Nong sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6

Type.

China. Guangxi Province: Daxin County, En-cheng Town, near Shang-ren Village , 234 m, on steep cliff of a limestone hill, 8 July 2021, Shi-yue Nong and Jin-hong Dai EC 20210708001 (holotype: IBK; isotypes: A, PE, SYS) .

Diagnosis.

Resembles B. longiradiosa in leaf shape and morphology of the inflorescence, petals and stamens but differs in its prostrate habit (vs. erect), densely pubescent stem (vs. sparsely villous or glabrescent), yellowish-green, membranous and fragile leaves (vs. green or dark green, papery), and white anthers (vs. pink to purplish).

Description.

Herbs, 8-20 cm tall. Stems to 80 cm long, branched, terete, densely pubescent with minute uniseriate hairs and 1 mm long, spreading, multiseriate glandular hairs, prostrate with adventitious roots at middle and lower parts, with the distal part (1 to 3 internodes) erect or ascending. Leaves opposite, equal to unequal; petiole 2.1-12.7 cm long, pubescent as the stem; blade broadly ovate-cordate to cordate-orbicular, 3-17 × 2.7-14 cm, membranous and fragile, pubescent on both surfaces, adaxial surface yellowish-green, abaxial surface pale green or reddish, secondary veins 3 or 4 on each side of midvein, base cordate, margin subentire, ciliate, apex acute. Inflorescence a terminal cyme, rarely cymose panicle, (1)3-13-flowered, peduncle 1.5-5.9 cm long, pubescent. Flowers bisexual, radial but androecium slightly bilateral, 4-merous, pedicles, hypanthium and calyx lobes pubescent; pedicels 0.6-2 cm; hypanthium light green, funnel-shaped, 4-6 × 3-4 mm; calyx lobes 4, broadly ovate to reniform, 2-3.5 × 3-5 mm, margin undulate; petals 4, white, sometimes pinkish at the apex, suborbicular, 2.5-7 mm long, margin undulate and ciliate with glandular hairs, apex oblique; stamens 8 in two whorls, isomorphic, equal in length, filaments 5-6 mm long, anthers lanceolate, 6-8 mm long, white, connective forming a yellow dorsal tubercle and 2 yellow ventral lobes; ovary half inferior, locules 4, apex of ovary with membranous crown, crown margin ciliate with glandular hairs; style 1.1-1.8 cm long, basally sparsely puberulous. Capsule 7 × 5 mm, funnel-shaped; placentation axial, placental column distally unhorned, placentas non-thready; seeds numerous, ca. 0.8 mm long, cuneate.

Phenology.

Flowering June to July, fruiting July to August.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is based on the name of the town, En-cheng, where B. enchengensis is discovered.

Distribution.

Bredia enchengensis is currently known only from Daxin County, Guangxi Province, China (Fig. 2 ). It occurs in forests on steep, arid limestone cliffs at 234 m.

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Bredia bullata (solid circle), B. nitida (triangle), and B. enchengensis (star).

Figure 5. Holotype of Bredia enchengensis, Shi-yue Nong and Jin-hong Dai EC 20210708001 (IBK). Scale bar: 5 cm.

Figure 6. Bredia enchengensis A habitat and habit B flowering branch C adaxial (top) and abaxial (bottom) leaf surfaces D branchlet showing spreading glandular hairs E terminal cyme F cymose panicle G longitudinal section of flower (left) showing isomorphic stamens, two petals (lower middle), and top view (upper right) and longitudinal section (lower right) of young fruit showing broadly ovate to reniform calyx lobes and ovary crown. Scale bar: 5 mm (G). All from Shi-yue Nong and Jin-hong Dai EC 20210708001 (A, IBK, PE, SYS).