Petrocodon villosus Xin Hong, F.Wen & S.B.Zhou, 2014

Hong, X., Zhou, S. - B. & Wen, F., 2014, Petrocodon villosus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, Blumea 59 (1), pp. 33-36 : 33-36

Petrocodon villosus Xin Hong, F.Wen & S.B.Zhou , sp. nov. — Fig. 1 , 2

Differs from Petrocodon ferrugineus Y.G.Wei by leaf blades adaxially sparsely strigose to glabrous, bracts 2.5 by 0.5 mm, calyx c. 2.5 mm long inner surface glabrous, corolla 1–1.2 cm long with narrowly infundibuliform tube, limb distinctly 2-lipped, outside white, sparsely puberulent,lobes ovate-triangular to obliquely ovate,straight, glandular-pubescent,filaments and capitate staminodes inserted at c. 4 mm above the corolla base respectively,disc 1 mm high with an elongated projection or horn on one side, stigma bipartite. — Type: F. Wen 0173 (holo IBK;iso ANU), China, Guangxi Autonomous Region , Baise City , Debao Country , Yandong Town , growing in rocky crevices at the foot of a limestone hill, N23°9', E106°39', elevation c. 160 m, 27 Nov. 2012 .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the particular villous aspect of the leaf blades and petioles.

Perennial rosette herb, acaulescent. Rhizome subterete, erect or ascendant, 1.8–2.2 cm long, 0.5–0.7 cm diam, rooting at the nodes. Leaves 9–15 or more, basal; petioles 2–3 cm, brownish strigose; leaf blade coriaceous to subcoriaceous, slightly oblique, elliptic-ovate or oblong, 4–4.5 by 2.6–3 cm, adaxially sparsely strigose to glabrous, abaxially densely brownish villous, base broadly cuneate, upper surface green, surface below russet, margin crenate, apex obtuse, lateral nerves 3–5 nerves on each side, adaxially impressed, abaxially prominent, densely brownish strigose. Cymes 1–3, 8–11-flow- ered; peduncles 6–8(–15) cm long, extremely short brownish pubescent. Bracts 2, linear or lanceolate-linear, c. 2.5 by 0.5 mm, outside strigose, inside glabrous. Pedicels 3–5 mm long, sparsely brownish pubescent. Calyx 5-parted to the base, lobes narrowly lanceolate-linear, c. 2.5 mm long, outer surface extremely short brownish pubescent, inner surface glabrous. Corolla white, throat with two distinctly elliptic yellow spots, 1–1.2 cm long, outside sparsely pubescent, inside glabrous, orifice slightly swollen, 0.3–0.4 cm diam; tube narrowly infundibuliform, 0.7–0.8 cm long; limb distinctly 2-lipped, adaxial lip 2-parted to half-length, lobes obliquely ovate, c. 2.5 by 1.5 cm, apex acute to obtuse; abaxial lip 3-parted to one third, lobes equal, ovate-triangular, c. 0.4 by 0.2 cm, apex acute. Stamens 2, adnate c. 4 mm above the corolla base; filaments c. 2 mm

long, straight, scattered glandular-pubescent, anthers black, fused by their entire adaxial surfaces, ellipsoidal, c. 1 mm long, glabrous; staminodes 2, capitate, c. 0.5 mm long, glabrous, inserted c. 2 mm from the base of the corolla. Disc annular, 1–2 mm high, having an elongated projection or horn on one side. Pistil 10–12 mm, c. 2 mm diam; ovary linear, 6–8 mm long, densely puberulent with both glandular and eglandular hairs; style linear, 3–4 mm long, glandular-puberulent. Stigma bipartite, c. 0.3 mm long, lobes ovate, parted to half-length, apex obtuse. Capsule linear, straight, 2–2.5 cm long, 1.5–2 mm diam, glandular-pubescent and sparsely pilose.

Distribution — China (narrowly endemic and known only from the type locality, i.e. Yandong Town ( N23°9', E106°39'), c. 11 km south-west of Debao Country, Baise City, southern Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, China.

Habitat & Ecology — Petrocodon villosus is locally abundant. It grows on moist and shaded rock faces on the cliff around the cave mouth at the foot of a limestone hill at an elevation of 160 m asl. The average temperature of Debao County is about 22.3 °C, the average annual precipitation is over 1 000 mm. The forest where P. villosus occurs is subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. Flowering is from October to November.

Additional specimens. CHINA, Guangxi Autonomous Region, Baise city, Debao Country , Yandong Town , alt. 160 m, 4 Aug. 2010, Wang -062 ( IBK, K); ibid., 160 m, 27 Nov. 2012, Hong 20121116 ( ANU, K) .

Figures

Fig. 1 Petrocodon villosus Xin Hong, F.Wen & S.B.Zhou. a. Mature individual, habit; b. mature capsule; c. abaxial leaf; d. flower; e. opened corolla for show- ing stamens and staminodes; f. pistil and opened calyx lobes; g. transverse section of ovary with the annular nectary at base (all: F. Wen 0173, IBK). — Scale bars: a–c = 1 cm; d–f = 5 mm; g = 1 mm. — Drawn by Ms. H.M. Xiao.

Fig. 2 Petrocodon villosus Xin Hong, F.Wen & S.B.Zhou. a. Habitat; b. mature individual, habit; c. open flower and cyme; d. underside of plant; e. fruits; f. indumentum of young leaves and petioles; g. brown indumentum of abaxial leaf; h. stigma; i. opened calyx lobes and annular nectary with an elongated projection or horn on one side. — Photos: a–g. Fang Wen; h, i. Xin Hong.