Primula jiugongshanensis sp. nov. (Primulaceae) from China,based on morphological and molecular evidence

Primula jiugongshanensis J. W. Shao, a new species from Mt Jiugongshan in Hubei Province, China, is described and illustrated. This species is a biennial glabrous herb with pinnately compound leaves, and affiliated to P. sect. Ranunculoides C. M. Hu. It is distinguished from other species of the section by outer simple leaves ovate, flowers distylous, corolla lobe apex conspicuously emarginate, and lack of bulblets. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences (ITS) was conducted and the results also supported the recognition of P. jiugongshanensis as a new species. The species is known from only three separated unprotected populations and is categorized as ‘Endangered’ (EN).     

Chamaesium jiulongense sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from Sichuan,China

Chamaesium jiulongense X. L. Guo & X. J. He, a new species of Apiaceae from Mt Haite in Jiulong County, Sichuan Province, China, is described. The new species differs from other Chamaesium species by its ultimate segments of the leaves which are 1–3‐lobed, rarely entire, with a narrow, minutely incised, pale brown margin, as well as by the presence of leaf‐like bracts, bracteoles longer than flowers, pubescent styles and oblong fruit with obsolete calyx. Morphological and micromorphological characters of the new species are provided and illustrated.     

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.     

Didymodon mesopapillosus sp. nov. (Pottiaceae) from Tibet,China

Didymodon mesopapillosus J. Kou, X.‐M. Shao & C. Feng is described and illustrated as a new species from Tibet, China. It is characterized mainly by its ovate to ovate‐lanceolate leaves appressed to weakly erect when dry, margins recurved from leaf base to apex, laminal cell superficial walls markedly thicker than the internal walls, laminal papillae present only on both sides of costa, short‐excurrent costa, undifferentiated basal cells and differentiated perichaetial leaves. This species is compared with similar species and its ecology is discussed.     

Primulina maciejewskii sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong,China

Primulina maciejewskii F. Wen, R.L. Zhang & A.Q. Dong, a new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. lobulata and P. danxiaensis in leaf and flower shape, but can be distinguished by bract shape, peduncle, pedicel, and bract size, filament and anther indumentum, and number of bracts, staminodes and stigma.     

Calanthe yaoshanensis sp. nov. (Orchidaceae) from northeastern Yunnan,China

A new species of Orchidaceae, Calanthe yaoshanensis Z. X. Ren & H. Wang from northeastern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. brevicornu Lindley, from which it differs by having a glabrous column and an elliptical middle lobe with three triangular lamellae. The morphological differences between C. yaoshanensis and related species are discussed. The habitat was investigated and its conservation status was assessed as a ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR).     

Spiradiclis jingxiensis sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from Guangxi,China

The new species Spiradiclis jingxiensis R. J. Wang is described here. It is similar to S. danxiashanensis with respect to its prostrate habit, small leaves, and terminal inflorescence with 1–3 salverform flowers, but is readily distinguished by pinkish flowers, and included stamens and stigmas in long‐ and short‐styled flowers. The conservation status of the new species was preliminarily assessed as ‘EN’ according to IUCN categories and criteria.     

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.     

Xiphion heracleanum sp. nov. (Iridaceae) from Morocco

As a part of the revision of Xiphion (Iris subg. Xiphion) for the ‘Flora Iberica’ project, some material collected in the 19th and 20th centuries in the Tangiers area (northern Morocco) was found impossible to assign to any of the known taxa in the genus. In part, they resembled X. junceum and X. rutherfordii, but showed a peculiar combination of vegetative and floral characters which to date is exclusive. Accordingly, the new species X. heracleanum Mart. Rodr. & M. B. Crespo is described for these plants, and evidence is reported to justify the adopted treatment. Relationships to other taxa in the genus are also discussed, and the new combination X. rutherfordii (Mart. Rodr., P. Vargas, M. Carine & Jury) Mart. Rodr. & M. B. Crespo comb. nov. is provided.     

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).     

Celastrus obovatifolius sp. nov. (Celastraceae) from China

A new bittersweet species, Celastrus obovatifolius X. Y. Mu & Z. X. Zhang (Celastraceae) is described from China. It is morphologically most similar to C. orbiculatus Thunb., but differs in having lamellate pith, obovate leaves, flower stalk with an articulation in its upper half, and terminal and axillary inflorescences. This is the first study using scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the seed micromorphology of Celastrus L., which can provide valuable characters for species identification in the genus.     

Bupleurum shanianum sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from China

Bupleurum shanianum X. G. Ma & X. J. He, previously recognized in China as B. gracillimum, is proposed here as a new species. This new species and B. gracillimum differ in many morphological characters (flowering stem position, bract size, number of flowers per umbellule) and have non‐overlapping distribution ranges. Bupleurum shanianum is most similar to B. yunnanense Franch., but the new species has shorter cauline leaves, and umbellules usually with 4 bracteoles and 3–6(–9) flowers. Bupleurum shanianum is known from eastern Himalayas to western Sichuan.     

Wentsaiboea tiandengensis sp. nov. and W. luochengensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Karst caves in Guangxi,southern China

Two new species of Gesneriaceae, Wentsaiboea tiandengensis Yan Liu & B. Pan and Wentsaiboea luochengensis Yan Liu & W. B. Xu from Karst caves in Guangxi, China are described and illustrated. Wentsaiboea tiandengensis resembles W. renifolia, but differs in the leaf blade being cordate or broadly ovate, the margin crenate or repand, with conspicuous pinnate veins 3–5 on each side, corolla throat constricted, corolla lobes ovate with apex acute, staminodes 3, and ovary broadly ovoid. Wentsaiboea luochengensis is similar to W. renifolia, but can be distinguished from the latter by the coriaceous leaf blade with 2–3 inconspicuous pinnate veins on each side, elliptic or broadly ovate to sub‐rotund in shape, with sub‐entire margin and attenuate to cuneate or sub‐rotund base, broadly ovate or sub‐rotund corolla lobes, rotund or obtuse apex, and 3 staminodes.     

Calathea dorothyae sp. nov. (Marantaceae) from the sandy coastal plains of southeastern Brazil

Calathea dorothyae J. M. A. Braga & H. Kenn. sp. nov. from the sandy coastal plains of southeastern Brazil is described and illustrated. It is apparently endemic to the ‘Cabo Frio Center of Plant Diversity’, and it is considered ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR). The new species is somewhat similar to C. reginae J. M. A. Braga and C. sphaerocephala K. Schum. with which it is compared.     

Pternopetalum arunachalense sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from India

Pternopetalum arunachalense M. Bhaumik & P. Satyanar. is a new species from Arunachal Pradesh in India and is described and illustrated here. This new species is similar to P. trichomanifolium (Franch.) Hand.‐Mazz. by highly dissected, ternate 2–4‐pinnate leaves, ultimate segments linear and erect elongate styles but differs by generally smaller habit and scabrid mericarps with 1–2 vittae in each furrow and commissure.     

Stromanthe bahiensis sp. nov. (Marantaceae), endemic to southern Bahia State,Brazil

Stromanthe bahiensis Yoshida‐Arns, Mayo & J. M. A. Braga sp. nov. (Marantaceae) is described as an endemic to the Atlantic Forest coast of southern Bahia State in Brazil. It is similar to S. hjalmarssonii (Körn.) Petersen, which is restricted to Central America, but differs from it by the following characteristics: petiole 14–70 cm long, leaf blade oblong‐ovate to ovate‐lanceolate, fertile bracts 18–30×2–4 mm, narrowly lanceolate to ovate‐lanceolate, sepals 4–6 mm long, corolla lobes 3.0–3.5 mm long, outer staminodes 2.0–3.5×1–2 mm, pale bluish or purplish, callose staminode 2–3×1–2 mm, cucullate staminode 2–3 mm long and ovary hirsute. The new species is described and illustrated with diagnostic characters, taxonomic comments and remarks on its conservation status.     

Pertya multiflora sp. nov. (Asteraceae,Pertyeae) from Zhejiang,China

Pertya multiflora Cai F. Zhang & T. G. Gao (Asteraceae, Pertyeae) sp. nov. from Zhejiang Province of China is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. pubescens and P. pungens which all have leaves with small spherical glassy tawny glands, but differ by narrowly ovate to nearly elliptic leaves, capitula solitary or in pairs on terminal branches, capitula with 20–30 florets and 9–12‐seriate involucres. Information on phenology, distribution and ecology of P. multiflora is presented, along with a conservation assessment as Critically Endangered (CR) using the IUCN red list criteria. A key to the known species of Pertya in southeast China is provided.     

Disporum sinovietnamicum sp. nov. (Colchicaceae) from southwestern Guangxi,China

Disporum sinovietnamicum R. C. Hu & Y. Feng Huang sp. nov. is described and from southwestern Guangxi, China. It is morphologically closest to D. jinfoshanense X. Z. Li, D. M. Zhang & D. Y. Hong, but differs by having stems that are 35–90 cm tall, narrowly lanceolate and thinly leathery leaves, and ovate and glabrous tepals.     

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 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.