Berberis aristatoserrulata Hayata (1913: 13

Yu, Chih-Chieh & Chung, Kuo-Fang, 2014, Systematics of Berberis sect. Wallichianae (Berberidaceae) of Taiwan and Luzon with description of three new species, B. schaaliae, B. ravenii, and B. pengii, Phytotaxa 184 (2), pp. 61-99 : 74

1. Berberis aristatoserrulata Hayata (1913: 13 , as “ aristato-serrulata ”). Type :— TAIWAN. Central Mountains (“Montibus Centralibus”), April 1910, sine coll. (holotype TI-02616!, isotype TAIF-9893!) ( Fig. 7A–D ).

Evergreen shrub, sometimes small tree-like shrub 1–2 m tall. Mature stems brown. Spines 3-fid, concolorous, sometimes palmate, 0.4–1.2 cm. Leaves subsessile, usually with short petioles of ca. 5 mm; leaf blade narrowly-elliptic or lanceolate, abaxially pale green sometimes pruinose, adaxially dull green; 7.0–11.0 × 1.8–3.4 cm, leathery; midvein abaxially raised and adaxially impressed, lateral veins slightly raised, the secondary veins pinnate, jointly looped and multi-festooned, the tertiary veins weakly reticulated; base attenuate, margins densely spinose with spinules of 16–31 with 2–3 mm apart on each side, apex acute. Inflorescence a fascicle, 10–15-flowered. Bracts absent. Pedicel pale green, 1.6–2.6 cm. Bracteoles 2 or 3, red, triangular, 1.5–2 × 1 mm. Flowers yellow. Sepals in 3 whorls, outer sepals yellow or sometimes reddish tinged obovate 2.5 × 2 mm, middle sepals yellow obovate to narrowly-obovate 5 × 2 mm, inner sepals yellow elliptic or narrowly-obovate 6.5 × 4 mm. Petals elliptic, 6 × 4 mm, base clawed with a pair of narrowly-ovoid nectaries very close to each other, apex incised or acutely emarginated. Stamens bright yellow ca. 4 mm, anther connective of stamen distinct, apex shortly apiculate. Pistil 3.5 mm. Ovules 2–4. Berries color unknown, ellipsoid 5 × 3 mm, estylose.

Distinguishing features: — Berberis aristatoserrulata is similar to B. pengii ( Fig. 7 ) in its leaf shape and venation, differing from the latter by its dull upper surface of leaf and the shape of first-whorled sepal which is obovate.

Phenology: — Flowering April; Fruiting July, August.

Distribution & habitat: — Berberis aristatoserrulata is distributed in eastern Taiwan where it is locally common in the understory of coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests from 1500–2410 m.

Chinese name:—RAE小ª

Proposed IUCN conservation status: —Data Deficient (DD). Berberis aristatoserrulata was rediscovered and confirmed in our trip to Guanmen Trail in 2014. It is currently only known from a few localities in eastern Central Mountain Range where it is locally abundant in the cloud forest belt. Because its natural distributional range and population sizes are insufficiently known, we propose a provisional IUCN category of DD for the species ( IUCN 2012).

Notes: — Berberis aristatoserrulata was described based on a sine coll. specimen collected from an uncertain locality in the Central Mountain Range in 1910. Based on the history of early botanical explorations in Taiwan by Japanese collectors, the type specimen was most likely collected by Ushinosuke Mori. After a careful study of Mori’s travel log ( Mori 2000), we identified that Guanmen Trail, an abandon track constructed in the late Qing Dynasty, was the most likely type locality ( Fig. 6B ) and we were able to relocate the species there in the spring of 2014 .

Additional specimens examined: — TAIWAN. Hualien: 77 Compt. of Mukwashan , 2100–2330 m, 15 August 1956, Liu et al. 250 (PH) ; Luanshan to Patolushan, 2000–2100 m, 3 August 1963, Tamura et al. 21556 (E, HAST, KUN); Yenping Logging Trail, 25 July 1973, Ou 1941 (TCF); Juisui Forest Road, 6 April 2000, Yang 5981 (TNM); en route from first river bed of Pingfengshan, 2410 m, 4 September 2009, Huang 4151 (HAST); near Hoawanshan, 2100 m, 11 April 2014, Guanmen Expedition-Harber & Yu 7, 8 (TAI); near Rontaiwenshan, 2300 m, 12 April 2014, Guanmen Expedition-Harber & Yu 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (TAI); 27 km of Guangfu Logging Trail, 1500m, 13 April 2014, Guanmen Expedition-Harber & Yu 12 (TAI) .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distributions of Berberis sect. Wallichianae of Taiwan and Luzon. A. Major mountain ranges in Taiwan, with possible type localities of B. aristatoserrulata and B. brevisepala. NR: Nature Preserve. MWH: Major Wildlife Habitat. Mts: Mountain Range. B. Distributions of B. aristatoserrulata, B. hayatana, and B. pengii. C. Distributions of B. chingshuiensis, B. mingetsensis, and B. nantoensis. D. Distributions of B. kawakamii, B. ravenii, and B. schaaliae. E. Distributions of B. brevisepala and B. tarokoensis. F. Distribution of B. barandana in Luzon Island of the Philippines.

FIGURE 7. Berberis aristatoserrulata Hayata (A–D) and B. pengii C.C. Yu & K.F. Chung (E–H). A. Dull adaxial leaf surface. B. Silkyluster adaxial leaf surface when exposed to light.C. Flowers, front view. D. Flowers, exterior view, showing the sepals. E. Leafing braches. F. Flowers, front view. G. Flowers, exterior view, showing the sepals. H. Berries. A–D: Guanmen Historical Trail. E–H: Beitawushan, courtesy of Chi-Kai Yang.