Agapetes camelliifolia Huang (1987: 318)

Yang, Bin, Wang, Ping-Yuan, Tong, Yi-Hua & Tan, Yun-Hong, 2021, Taxonomic notes on Agapetes (Ericaceae) from Xizang, China: Agapetes leiocarpa, a new synonym of A. atrosanguinea, and an updated description of A. camelliifolia, Phytotaxa 524 (2), pp. 119-124 : 121-123

Agapetes camelliifolia Huang (1987: 318) ; Huang (1991: 193); Fang & Stevens (2005: 512). Fig. 2

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Mêdog County, Beibeng Xiang , Xirang , Sangxingpeng. 22 April 1983, B. S . Li & S. Z . Cheng 4242 (holotype: PE 00194001 !) .

Description:—Shrubs to 30 cm tall, with globose root tubers. Twigs terete, 1–2 mm in diam., densely dark brown setose. Leaves scattered; petiole 2–3 mm long, glabrous; leaf blade pale green abaxially, green adaxially, ovate, ovateelliptic to elliptic, 1.4–4.2 × 0.9–2.4 cm, leathery, glabrous, secondary veins 4–8 pairs with fine veins conspicuous impressed adaxially, slightly raised or unconspicuous abaxially, base broadly cuneate, obtuse to rounded, margin slightly revolute, remotely inconspicuously serrate, apex acute to apiculate. Inflorescences axillary, corymbose, 1–4- flowered; peduncles 1–2 mm long, glabrous; bracts minute, triangular, 0.5–1 mm long, acuminate at apex, scaly, caducous. Pedicels 6–11 mm long; floral bracts and bracteoles minute, triangular, ca. 0.5 mm long, acuminate at apex, scaly, caducous. Calyx glabrous; lobes triangular, 2.5–3 × l.5– 2 mm, entire, acuminate at apex. Corolla tubular, sightly angular, red, 2.0– 2.1 cm × 6–7 mm; lobes broadly ovate-triangular, 1.2–1.5 × 2.5–3 mm, yellowish-green, obtuse to mucronate at apex. Stamens 1.5–1.7 cm long; filaments flat, white tinged with reddish, 2–2.2 mm long, slightly incurved, glabrous; anthers 1.5–1.6 mm long, thecae ca. 6 mm long, with small appendages at base, appendages 1 mm long, tubules 9–10 mm long, without spur. Ovary 3.5–4.5 × 3–3.7 mm, pseudo-10-locular. Style linear, ca. 2.1 cm long, glabrous, ca. 1 mm impressed inside the disc; stigma truncate. Immature berry shortly cylindric, ca. 3 mm in diam.

Phenology: —Flowering from December to February, and fruiting maybe in April to May.

Distribution and habitat: —This species is distributed in Southeast of Xizang, and epiphytic on trees in subtropical mountain evergreen broad-leaved forests at elevations of 1350–1800 m.

Notes: —Our materials collected from Mêdog show a little variation in leaf blades, which are ovate to ovateelliptic, 1.4–4.2 × 0.9–2.4 cm, with an obtuse to rounded base, and an apiculate apex, while the type specimen of A. camelliifolia has elliptic leaves with a broadly cuneate base and an acute apex ( Huang 1987); other than that they match well each other. Agapetes camelliifolia is similar to A. praeclara Marquand (1929: 197) ( Fig. 3 ), but can be distinguished from the latter by its fewer leaves with a larger blade ( Huang 1987, Tong 2014). Agapetes camelliifolia is also very closed with A. muscorum Airy Shaw (1968: 473) , but the former has ovate, ovate-elliptic to elliptic (vs. ovate) leaves and longer (2.0– 2.1 cm vs. 1.0– 1.1 cm) and tubular (vs. urceolate) corolla ( Airy Shaw 1968). However, when describing A. muscorum, Airy Shaw (1968) pointed out that “the flower measurements given are not the maximum possible, since the great majority of flowers on the specimen are still in bud, and in the one flower which is actually open the stigma has not yet reached the level of the mouth of the corolla”. Thus, the developed corolla shape and size of A. muscorum are actually unknown yet. Banik & Sanjappa (2014) considered A. muscorum conspecific with A. praestigiosa Airy Shaw (1958: 495) and treated it as a synonym under the latter. But A. praestigiosa has much denser leaves with thicker and elliptic blades that are very different from those of A. muscrorum . We are not sure whether the treatment of Banik & Sanjappa (2014) is appropriate, so the relationships among A. camelliifolia , A. muscorum and A. praestigiosa still need further study.

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Xizang: Mêdog County: Beibeng Xiang, De’er gong Village , 1394m, 26 December 2020, Bin Yang & Ping-Yuan Wang T772 ( HITBC) ; ibidem, 1630 m, 26 December 2020, Bin Yang & Ping-Yuan Wang T780 ( HITBC) ; ibid., 1797 m, 27 December 2020, Bin Yang & Ping-Yuan Wang T791 ( HITBC) ; ibidem, 1600 m, 21 December 2020. Min Deng & Yan Luo DM23583 ( HITBC) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Agapetes camelliifolia S.H.Huang.A & C. Flowering branch (front view); B & D. Flowering branch (back view); E. Flower; F. Dissection of flower (F1. Pedicel and calyx; F2. Corolla; F3. Stamens; F4. Style); G. Cross section of ovary; H. Calyx limb and disc (photos by Bin Yang).

FIGURE 3. Agapetes praeclara C.Marquand.A. Habit; B. Flowering branch (front view); C. Flowering branch (back view); D. Flowering branch (side view); E. Portion of flowering branch showing inflorescences and flowers; F. Inflorescence; G. Dissection of flower (G1. Pedicel and calyx; G2. Corolla; G3. Stamens; G4. Style); H. Cross section of ovary; I. Calyx limb and disc. (photos by Bin Yang).