Primulina huaijiensis (Gesneriaceae), a New Species from Guangdong, China

Abstract

Ning, Z. L., Li, G. F., Wang, J., Smith, J. F., Rasolonjatovo, H. & Kang, M. 2013: Primulina huaijiensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Guangdong, China. - Ann. Bot. Fennici 50: 119-122. Primulina huaijiensis Z.L. Ning & J. Wang sp. nova (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong, China is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. renifolia, but differs from P. renifolia in several morphological characters, both vegetative and reproductive as well as in having a different flowering period (October-December).

Full text

Ann. Bot. Fennici   
 
Primulina huaijiensis



South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN-510650 Guangzhou,
Guangdong, People’s Republic of China (*corresponding author’s e-mail: wjing@scbg.ac.cn)
Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho
83725, USA
Received 29 Sep. 2012, nal version received 9 Nov. 2012, accepted 13 Nov. 2012
Primulina huaijien-
sisAnn. Bot. Fennici
Primulina huaijiensis Z.L. Ning & J. Wang sp. nova (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong,
China is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. renifolia, but differs from P. renifo-
lia in several morphological characters, both vegetative and reproductive as well as in
having a different owering period (October–December).
Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have
altered our concept of generic delimitations
among Old World members of Gesneriaceae and
have veried that the large genus, Chirita, is par-
aphyletic (Möller et al. 2011, Wang et al. 2011,
Weber et al. 2011). Based on the phylogenetic
analysis of ITS and trnL-F sequences, all species
of Chirita section Gibbosaccus, Chiritopsis and
Wentsaiboea were incorporated into Primulina,
which previously had only one species, P. taba-
cum (Hance 1883, Wang 1990, Wang et al. 1998,
Li & Wang 2004, Wei et al. 2010).
During investigations of living collections
of Gesneriaceae in October 2011, we collected
specimens of an unrecognized Primulina spe-
cies in a limestone cave in northwest Guang-
dong, China. This unusual species has reniform
leaf blades, obliquely campanulate and abaxially
swollen corollas, and hippocrepiform stigmas.
All of these characteristics are similar to P.
renifolia (formerly Wentsaiboea renifolia). After
consulting relevant literature (Wang et al. 1990,
1998, Fang et al. 2004, Li & Wang 2004, Wei
et al. 2010, Liu et al. 2010, Wen et al. 2012)
as well as herbarium specimens, we concluded
that our specimens represented a new species
of Primulina, which is described and illustrated
here.
Primulina huaijiensis 
sp. nova
Type: China. Guangdong: Zhaoqing City, Huaiji county,
24°36´N, 112°02´E, on limestone rock face in a karst cave,
21 Oct. 2011 G. F. Li et al. HJ01 (holotype IBSC). — para-
Type: Same locality, 21 Oct. 2011 G. F. Li et al. HJ02 (IBSC).
eTymology: The specic epithet is derived from the
name of the type locality, Huaiji County, Guangdong prov-
ince, China.
Perennial herbs. Rhizome subterete, 1.5–2.5
cm long, ca. 1 cm in diameter. Leaves 5–20,
all basal. Petiole 5–14 cm long, ca. 2–3 mm
thick, pubescent. Leaf blade coriaceous, reni-

 Ning et al.   
form, 2.5–4.0 ¥ 2.8–4.5 cm, apex rounded or
obtuse, base cordate or deeply cordate, margin
crenate or repand, densely pubescent adaxially,
glabrous abaxially, palmate veins 5–7, conspicu-
ously prominent on both sides, silvery-white on
the upper surfaces. Cymes 7–10, 1–3-branched,
3–15 -owered; peduncle 6–14 cm long, pubes-
cent; bracts 2, opposite, linear or narrowly lan-
ceolate, 2–3 ¥ ca. 1 mm, margin entire, apex
acute, pubescent. Pedicel 6–17 mm long, pubes-
cent. Calyx 5-lobed nearly to the base, lobes
linear-triangular,1.5–2.0 ¥ 0.4–0.6 mm, margin
entire, glandular pubescent abaxially, sparsely
glandular pubescent adaxially. Corolla white,
obliquely campanulate, abaxially swollen, 7–9
mm long, sparsely glandular pubescent outside,
glabrous inside; tube 4–6 mm long, orice ca. 5.5
mm in diameter; adaxial lip distinctly 2-lobed,
1/6 to 1/5 of total corolla length, lobes sub-
rounded, 1.2–1.8 ¥ 1.5–2 mm, apex rounded,
with sub-rounded lamellar appendages inside;
abaxial lip 3-lobed, 1/4 to 1/3 of total corolla
length, lobes broadly ovate, apex rounded or
obtuse, 2.0–2.5 ¥ ca. 2.2 mm. Fertile stamens
2, adnate to near corolla tube base; laments
linear, ca. 2 mm long, arcuate, glabrous; anthers
reniform, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous. Staminodes
2, glabrous, slightly enlarged at apex, adnate
to near corolla tube base. Disc annular, ca. 0.3
mm in height, glabrous, margin repand. Pistil
4–5 mm long, ovary broadly ovoid, ca. 1.5 ¥ 0.6
mm, glandular puberulent; style 2-3 mm long,
glabrous; stigma hippocrepiform, ca. 0.5 mm.
Capsule linear-oblong, 5–7 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm
in diameter, pubescent when young. Flowering
October–December, fruiting from November to
January.
DisTribuTion anD habiTaT. Primulina huai-
jiensis is only known from the type locality in
Huaiji county of northwest Guangdong, China.
It grows mostly on wet rocks in limestone caves.
Primulina huaijiensis is similar to P. renifolia
Fig. 1.Primulina huaijien-
sis   
   
 A   B  C
  D 

  E 
  F  H 
G
IJ

   Primulina huaijiensis, a new species from Guangdong, China 
in its reniform, palmately nerved leaf blades and
zygomorphic corollas that are obliquely campanu-
late and abaxially swollen. It is distinguished from
P. renifolia by the characters given in Table 1.
Fig. 2.Primulina huaijien-
sis  A   B
  
  C 
 D   
 E   F  G:

Table 1.Primulina huaijiensisP. renifolia.
 P. huaijiensis P. renifolia
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 Ning et al.   
Acknowledgments
We thank Yan Liu for assistance with the species iden-
tication. This work was supported by the Knowledge
Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(Y221041001), and the Foundation of Key Laboratory of
Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization,
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sci-
ences (211023).
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