Wednesday, December 20, 2023

[Botany • 2023] Primula lizipingensis (Primulaceae) • A New Species from Sichuan, China


Primula lizipingensis W.B.Ju, L.Y.He & X.F.Gao, 

in Ju, He, Lan, Wu, Deng, He, Gao et Xu, 2023.

Abstract
A new species, Primula lizipingensis W.B.Ju, L.Y.He & X.F.Gao, found in Shimian County, Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to P. rhodochroa and P. socialis, but can be distinguished from them in having shorter plants covering with white farinose, leaf margin sharply dentate above the middle, the leaf blade becomes papery after drying, scapes obsolete, the bract linear-lanceolate to subulate, solitary at the base of the pedicel, and the white hairs present inside the corolla tube.

Key words: Aleuritia, Hengduan Mountains, Primula sect, taxonomy

Habitat of the Primula lizipingensis sp. nov. (A–D).

 Primula lizipingensis W.B.Ju, L.Y.He & X.F.Gao, sp. nov.
 
Diagnosis: Primula lizipingensis is morphologically similar to P. rhodochroa and P. socialis. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from P. rhodochroa by its leaf margin sharply dentate above the middle, scape absent, flower solitary subtended by a single, linear-lanceolate to subulate bract, the calyx lobes split to the middle, the corolla tube longer than the calyx, and its interior has white hairs. Compared with P. socialis, the new species is covered with white farinose (vs. glabrous), leaf oblanceolate to spathulate, and papery when dry (vs. obovate-elliptic to oblanceolate, membranous when dry), bracts linear-lanceolate to subulate (vs. linear), calyx lobes split to the middle (vs. split to the middle or below), and corolla tube hairy inside (vs. glabrous).

Distribution and habitat: Primula lizipingensis is only known from the type locality Liziping National Nature Reserve, Shimian County, Sichuan, China. It grows in moss-covered limestone crevices at an altitude of 4300–4400 meters.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘lizipingensis’ refers to the type locality where the new species occurs, Liziping National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China.


Wen-Bin Ju, Liu-Yang He, Qi Lan, Ying-Hao Wu, Heng-Ning Deng, Xing-Jin He, Xin-Fen Gao and Bo Xu. 2023. Primula lizipingensis (Primulaceae), A New Species from Sichuan, China. PhytoKeys. 236: 135-143. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.236.112169