Abstract: | Michelia sonlaensis Q.N. Vu, a new species of Michelia from Son La province, northern Vietnam is described. The new species is assigned to the genus Michelia (separated from Magnolia), subfamily Magnolioideae based on general morphology. It is closely similar to M. xianianhei and M. mannii, but differs mainly in having a leaf‐lamina that is elliptic, thinly leathery, larger, with lower surface yellowish white villous (easily visible by eyes and feeling by hand), brachyblasts and outside bracts yellowish‐white sericeous, flowers light green to cream white in colour, and nine tepals with the outside of all tepals silky hairy at base. |