Primulina hsiwenii Lei Cai, Ting Zhang & J.D.Ya

Cai, L., Ya, J. D. & Zhang, T., 2024, Primulina Hsiwenii (Gesneriaceae), A New Species From Southeastern Yunnan, China, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 81 (1912), pp. 1-7 : 2-4

Primulina hsiwenii Lei Cai, Ting Zhang & J.D.Ya , sp. nov.

A species closely allied to Primulina luochengensis (Yan Liu & W.B.Xu) Mich.Möller & A.Weber in habit, flattened petiole, shape of leaf blade, and shape and structure of flower but mainly differing from the latter in leaf blade covered with appressed puberulent hairs adaxially, puberulent abaxially (vs pubescent on both surfaces), bracts ovate triangular,

c. 1 mm long (vs narrowly linear, 4–6 mm long), corolla narrow campanulate, 12–16 mm long (vs obliquely campanulate, 8–9 mm long), stamens adnate to 2–2.5 mm above base of corolla tube, filament glabrous (vs adnate to 0.5 mm above the corolla tube base, filament sparsely puberulent at base), staminodes 2, adnate to c. 1 mm above base of the corolla tube, inconspicuous, less than 0.5 mm in length (vs 3, adnate to 0.5 mm above the corolla tube base, conspicuous, 0.7–1 mm long), ovary ovoid, densely puberulent, style densely glandular puberulent (vs narrowly ovoid, sparsely puberulent as style). – Type: China, Yunnan Province, Funing County, Xinhua town , Naping village , Qinghuadong , on the surfaces of rocks at entrance of limestone cave, 23°36′59.67′′N, 105°34′23.82′′E, altitude 728 m, in flower, 12 viii 2021, J. D. Ya & Lei Cai 21 CS20620 (holotype KUN!, isotypes KUN!). Figure .

Perennial herb, internode inconspicuous. Rhizome subterete, 2–5 × 0.4–0.6 cm. Leaves 8–15, in basal rosette; petiole pubescent, slightly concave on adaxial surface, flattened at apex, 2.5–7.5 long, c. 1.8 mm wide; leaf blade elliptic or broadly ovate to subrotund, 2–4.5

× 1.2–2.5 cm, adaxially dark green, covered with appressed puberulent hairs, abaxially pale green, puberulent, base cuneate or rounded, margin entire, apex obtuse to rounded; lateral veins 2–4 pairs, inconspicuous. Inflorescence an axillary cyme, 2–6, 1- to 4-flowered; peduncle 5–8 cm long, densely pubescent; bracts 2, opposite, ovate triangular, c. 1 mm long, outer surface pubescent; pedicel 4–12 mm long, pubescent. Calyx 5-merous, divided to base; lobes equal, narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, 3–3.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, margin entire, outer surface puberulent, inner surface glabrous. Corolla bluish violet, narrow campanulate, 12–16 mm long, outer surface puberulent, inner surface with purple longitudinal stripes on abaxial part (three on the middle lobe, and two on the lateral lobes), glabrous; tube

8–10 mm long, base c. 2 mm in diameter, mouth c. 6 mm in diameter; limb distinctly 2-lipped, adaxial lip 2-lobed to near base, lobes broadly ovate to subrotund, 3–4 mm long, c. 3 mm wide at base, abaxial lip 3-lobed to base, lobes ovate-oblong, 4–6 mm long, c. 4 mm wide at base. Stamens 2, filaments linear, 2.5–3.5 mm long, adnate to 2–2.5 mm above base of corolla tube, geniculate, glabrous; anthers reniform, yellow, cohering face to face, c. 1 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, glabrous; staminodes 2, adnate to c. 1 mm above base of corolla tube, inconspicuous, less than 0.5 mm in length. Disc annular, c. 0.3 mm in height, glabrous, inconspicuous. Pistil 7–8 mm long, ovary ovoid, 2–2.5 mm long, c. 1.5 mm in diameter, densely puberulent, style 4.8–5.5 cm long, c. 0.4 mm in diameter, densely glandular puberulent; stigma subhippocrepiform, c. 0.5 mm long. Capsule unknown.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality in Funing County, Yunnan Province, China.

Habitat and ecology. Growing on rock surfaces at the entrance of a limestone cave at an altitude of 728 m. Flowering from June to August, fruiting unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in memory of Prof. Li Hsi-Wen of Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for his contribution to the taxonomy of the Gesneriaceae family in the Flora of China ( Wang et al., 1998).

Vernacular name. The Chinese name is Xī Wén Bào Chūn Jù Tái (DZÎ报ffñä).

Proposed IUCN conservation category. The type locality is the only known population of this species and includes c.100 individuals. There is no information on possible threats, and the IUCN conservation category is thus considered Data Deficient ( DD), following the IUCN categories and criteria ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee, 2024). Further investigation into a possible second population in Funing County and an assessment of possible threats are needed before a formal evaluation of the species is conducted .

Notes. Primulina hsiwenii is most similar to P. luochengensis , which was placed in the genus Wentsaiboea when first published in 2010 ( Liu et al., 2010). It was then transferred, with another species, to Primulina in 2011 (Weber et al., 2011). Wentsaiboea was previously circumscribed based on its obliquely campanulate and abaxially swollen corolla, stamens and staminodes nearly adnate to the base of the corolla tube, exserted pistil, and hippocrepiform stigma ( Fang et al., 2004). It is clear that this new species shares these characteristics, and thus we chose to compare it with Primulina luochengensis and place it in the genus Primulina s.l.

At present, only eight species of Primulina s.l. occur in Yunnan Province: P. carnosifolia (C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li) Yin Z.Wang , P. grandibracteata (J.M.Li & Mich.Möller) Mich.Möller & A.Weber , P. longistyla (W.T.Wang) F.Wen, XinHong & Y.G.Wei , P. lungzhouensis (W.T.Wang) Mich.Möller & A.Weber , P. maguanensis (Z.Y.Li, H.Jiang & H.Xu) Mich.Möller & A.Weber , P. malingheensis X.X.Bai et al. , P. malipoensis L.H.Yang & M.Kang and P. speluncae (Hand.-Mazz.) Mich.Möller & A.Weber ( Wang et al., 1998; Xu et al., 2008; Li & Möller, 2009; Yang et al., 2018, Zhou et al., 2023). All of them are distributed east of the Red River (Hóng Hé River). Therefore, we speculate that the Red River may be the westernmost boundary of the distribution of the genus. Based on the diversity and clear distribution boundaries of Primulina , it would be worth studying the genus on a more geographical context in the future. A key to the species of Primulina occurring in Yunnan, China, is provided below.