Primulina rubella sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in Guangdong,China

A new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in southern China, P. rubella L.H. Yang & M. Kang, is described and illustrated. The new species has purple‐red flowers and is thus similar to P. lijiangensis, but differs by its petiole, leaf blade, cyme, filament, stigma and ovary. In adition, a molecular phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that P. rubella and P. lijiangensis belong to quite different clades. Instead, P. rubella appears to be closely related to the sympatric P. qingyuanensis, although these two species are obviously differentiated both in terms of flower color and other vegetative and floral characters. The conservation status of P. rubella is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) according to the IUCN red list categories and criteria.     

Primulina duanensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina duanensis Fang Wen & S. L. Huang is described and illustrated from Guangxi, China. It differs from P. ronganensis (D. Fang & Y. G. Wei) Mich. Möller & A. Weber in having broadly lanceolate bracts, being 1–3‐flowered and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments; from P. sclerophylla (W. T. Wang) Yan Liu in having narrowly ovate to ovate leaf blade, leaf blade margin interrupted shallowly crenate, broadly lanceolate bracts, being 1–3‐flowered and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments; from P. shouchengensis (Z. Y. Li) Z. Y. Li in having narrowly ovate to ovate leaf blade, leaf blade margin interrupted shallowly crenate, broadly lanceolate bracts and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments.     

Primulina melanofilamenta sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina melanofilamenta Ying Liu & F. Wen from Guangxi, China, is illustrated and described. It is morphologically distinct from the most similar species P. eburnea and P. atroglandulosa by the color of the corolla, dark purplish black filaments, anthers backed with a beard of white hairs, the length of staminodes and the hairs of styles. The somatic chromosome number of P. melanofilamenta is also reported as 2n = 36.     

Primulina petrocosmeoides sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

Primulina petrocosmeoides Bo Pan & Fang Wen sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to P. weii Mich. Möller & A. Weber, but differs from it in leaf blade ovate to elliptical, 1.0 × 0.8 to 2.5 × 2.0 cm, leaf base broadly cuneate, cymes 5–16, 2–6‐flowered, bracts narrowly lanceolate, calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.0–6.5 mm long, corolla bluish purple, 1.2–1.5 cm long, pubescent outside but glabrous inside, filaments purple, pubescent, staminodes 3, stigma trapezoid with its apex lobed to the middle and with dense short papillae.     

Primulina lutescens sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from southern Guangxi,China

Primulina lutescens B. Pan & H. S. Ma, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, China, is illustrated and described. The new species morphologically resembles Primulina carinata Y. G. Wei, F. Wen & H. Z. Lü, but it differs in leaf, floral characteristics and flowering time. The conservation status of P. lutescens is asessed as ‘Endangered’ (EN) according to the IUCN red list categories and criteria.     

Primulina moi sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in northern Guangdong,China

A new species of Primulina, P. moi, from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. lijiangensis in leaf shape, but can be distinguished by several characters, such as base of corolla tube constricted, lobes of adaxial lip ovate, abaxial lip 3‐lobed from base, lobes elliptic or oblong elliptic with cuspidate apex, yellow corolla and filaments, two non‐adhesive anthers when corolla is open, adnate only before anthesis and 2 stamnoides.     

Primulina xiziae sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Zhejiang Province,China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina xiziae Fang Wen, Yue Wang & G. J. Hua, from Zhejiang Province, China, is identified, illustrated and described. It resembles the widespread P. eburnea, and the stenochoric P. pseudoeburnea, but differs by the leaf blades being ovate‐elliptic or ovate, chartaceous with ciliate margins, 8.5–13.8 mm long, slender peduncle, ovate, ca 1.2 × 1.0 cm large bracts that are generally withered but persistent before full‐blooming stage, slender tubular‐infundibuliform, ca 25.0 × 7.5 mm corolla tube, limb lobes with acute apices, 3 staminodes, and by forming a dormancy bud in winter.     

Primulina suichuanensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Danxia landform in Jiangxi,China

Primulina suichuanensis X. L. Yu & J. J. Zhou, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Jiangxi, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to P. roseoalba, but differs by entire leaf blade margin, narrowly ovate bracts, reddish–purple or bluish–purple corolla, 3.0–3.4 cm long corolla tube, white filaments, and 3.6 cm long pistil. It flowers from September to November.     

Primulina minor sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone cave in Hunan,China

Primulina minor from the Daoxian county, Hunan province in China is described. This new species is similar to Primulina jingxiensis (Yan Liu, W. B. Xu & H. S. Gao) W. B. Xu & K. F. Chung and P. longzhouensis (B. Pan & W. H. Wu) W. B. Xu & K. F. Chung, but differs by its number of leaves (4–6), broadly ovate, orbicular‐ovate or orbicular leaf blade, 2–4 cymes, short peduncle (1.8–2.0 cm long), white (or white with light purple tinge) corolla, small corolla (8–10 mm long), 3 staminoides of which the lateral ones are short (0.75–0.90 mm long) and adnate to 1.6–1.7 mm above the corolla base.     

Primulina debaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone cave in Guangxi,China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina debaoensis Neng Jiang & Hong Li, from Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, China, is illustrated and described here. It resembles another endemic and stenochoric species in Guangxi, P. pungentisepala (W. T. Wang) Mich. Möller & A. Weber, but differs by having 12–18 or more leaves, leaf blade being broadly linear, oblanceolate‐elliptical or oblanceolate, bracts being ovate or elliptical with silvery or argenteous nerves and by having a yellow ovary that is 4–5 mm long and sparsely white pubescent.     

Primulina curvituba sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in Guangxi,China

Primulina curvituba B. Pan, L.H. Yang & M. Kang, a new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is mainly diagnosed by its strongly curved corolla tube, which is a rare character in Primulina. The morphological relationship and differences between this species and its related congeners are discussed. The conservation status of P. curvituba is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) according to IUCN.     

Primulina guangxiensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a karst cave in Guangxi,China

Primulina guangxiensis Yan Liu & W. B. Xu, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is related to Primulina tabacum Hance, but differs in the leaf blade being obliquely ovate to obliquely oblong‐ovate, 2.5–6.0×1.3–4.3 cm, eith margin entire to repand and base inequilateral, petiole slimly terete, 1.5–6.0 cm long, ca 2–3 mm across, cymes 1–2‐branched, 1–5‐flowered and corolla tube hypocrateriform, 20–25 mm long, 2 mm across. The new species is rare, currently known only from one site in a karst cave in western Guangxi.     

Primulina tsoongii sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in north Guangxi,China

Primulina tsoongii sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated here. This new species resembles P. hochiensis and P. hochiensis var. rosulata, but is easily distinguished by its sparsely hirsute mature leaves, narrow bracts (only 0.4–0.5 in diameter) and undivided yellowish ligulate stigma with dense elongate papillae.     

Primulina jianghuaensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone cave in southern Hunan,China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina jianghuaensis K. M. Liu & X. Z. Cai, from a limestone cave in Hunan Province, China, is identified and described. Its seed and pollen grain morphology are described. The new species is morphologically closely related to P. lingchuanensis ( =Chiritopsis lingchuanensis) and P. danxiaensis ( =Chiritopsis danxiaensis), but it can be distinguished by its 12–25 (–30) leaves, ovate or broad ovate leaf blade, subcordate, truncate or slightly decurrent leaf base, undulate leaf margin, 5–20 cymes, and 2–3 staminodes.     

Hemiboea lutea sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

Hemiboea lutea F. Wen, G. Y. Liang & Y. G. Wei, a new species in Gesneriaceae is described and illustrated from Guangxi, China. It differs from the similar species H. cavaleriei by having sessile or subsessile leaves, longer peduncles (6–10 cm), spheroidal or triangular‐spheroidal subinvolucre, 5‐divided calyx with lobes fused for 1/3 of their length, revolute and uncinate apex of calyx lobes, larger bright yellow corolla (5–7 cm long), longer staminodes with indistinctively uncinate anther and longer pistil (3.5–3.7 cm).     

Chirita tiandengensis (Gesneriaceae) sp. nov. from Guangxi,China

Chirita tiandengensis Fang Wen & Hui Tang, a new species of Chirita from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to C. napoensis Z. Y. Li, C. lunglinensis W. T. Wang and C. obtusidentata W. T. Wang, but differs by leaf blades ovate‐lanceolate, both surfaces sparsely strigulose; cymes 5‐ or 8‐flowered, bracts narrowly lanceolate, 6–8×1.5–2.0 mm; larger flowers (3.8–4.6 cm long), pink corolla, infundibuliform‐tubular tube; backside of anthers puberulous, filaments straight; staminodes glabrous, fused on the capitate top; stigma bipartite to the base with narrowly lanceolate lobes.     

Petrocodon multiflorus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

Petrocodon multiflorus F. Wen & Y. S. Jiang sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated. It is most similar to P. dealbatus Hance, but can be distinguished by its leaf lamina texture, shape of leaf margins, and by the number of cymes borne by an individual plant and the number of flowers in each cyme. A key to the species of Petrocodon is provided.     

Didymocarpus tonghaiensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Yunnan,China

Didymocarpus tonghaiensis J. M. Li & F. S. Wang sp. nov. from Yunnan, China, is illustrated and described. It is morphologically similar to D. stenanthos C. B. Clarke, but differs by having a densely glandular peduncle, 5‐lobed calyx with lobes that are free to the base, larger corolla, anther with white woolly hairs and a densely glandular‐hairy capsule.     

Didymocarpus dissectus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Fujian,eastern China

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Didymocarpus dissectus Fang Wen, Y. L. Qiu & Y. G. Wei, from Fujian province, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to D. heucherifolius in flower shape, but can be easily distinguished by leaf blade shape, split extent of calyx and equal calyx lobes, indumentum of corolla and number of staminodes.