Pulsatilla saxatilis L. Xu & T. G. Kang 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Ting-Ting
name: Zhang, Shu-Mei
name: Xu, Liang
name: Kang, Ting-Guo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Ranunculales
Ranunculaceae
Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla saxatilis

description: Pulsatilla saxatilis L. Xu & T.G. Kang, sp. nov., Figs. 1–3.
Type:— CHINA. Liaoning, Fengcheng, Baiyun Mountain, on rocky cliffs, ca. 1100 m, 26 May 2015, L. Xu et al. 210682150526013 LY (holotype LNCM, isotypes IFP, IMD, LNCM, PE). Fig. 1.
Diagnosis: From its putative closest ally, Pulsatilla chinensis (Fig. 4), the new species P. saxatilis is distinguishable by having light blue, whitish-blue or white (vs. violet) sepals and persistent styles 2–2.5 cm (vs. 3.5–6.5 cm) long (see Table 1).
Description:—Perennial herb, 9–20 cm tall. Rhizome 0.5–1 cm in diameter. Basal leaves 6–11, leaf blade ovate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–3 cm, 3–foliolate or ternate-pinnate. Central leaflet long petiolulate, 0.5–2 cm long, cordate, 3–foliolate, central segment stipitate and deeply 3–lobed, ultimate lobes cuniform, 0.3–0.6 cm wide, apically 2–or 3–toothed, abaxially sparsely long pilose, adaxially glabrous; petiole 2–7.5 cm, densely white villose. Scapes solitary or 2, occasionally 3, erect, white villose. Involucral bracts 3 or 4, 1– 2.4 cm long, connate and tubular at base, apically palmately 3–lobed, apical palmate lobes lanceolate, abaxially densely long pilose. Flowers solitary, erect, 2–4 cm in diameter; sepals 6–11, light blue, whitish–blue or white, oblong-ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.4–1.4 cm, abaxially puberulent; stamens numerous, ca. 1/2 as long as sepals; carpels numerous, style yellow-green, stigma pale violet. Achenes 2.5–3 mm long, long pilose. Persistent styles 2–2.5 cm long, sparsely long pilose.
Phenology:—Flowering in May; fruiting in June.
Pollen morphology:—Pollen grains of Pulsatilla saxatilis are spheroidal and pantoporate, having 9–12 apertures (Fig. 5A, B). The pollen surface is rough and spinulate, and the spinules are unevenly distributed. The bases of the spinules are cushion-like, and the tops are acuminate. The spinules in the apertures are larger than those on the surface. In its putative closest ally, P. chinensis, pollen grains are tricolpate (Fig. 5C, D). Pollen morphology, therefore, lends strong support for the description of P. saxatilis as new.
Distribution and habitat:— Pulsatilla saxatilis is currently known only from its type locality, i.e. Baiyun Mountain in Fengcheng, Liaoning province, north-east China (Fig. 6). It grows on rocky cliffs at an altitude of ca. 1100 m.
Etymology:—The specific epithet, “ saxatilis ”, which means “dwelling or found among rocks”, refers to the habitat of the new species.
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— CHINA. Liaoning, Fengcheng, Baiyun Mountain, ca. 1100 m, on rocky cliffs, 22 May 2016, L. Xu et al. 210682160522032 LY (PE); the same locality, 22 May 2016, L. Xu et al. 210682160522032 LY (IFP, IMD, LNCM).
Conservation status:— Pulsatilla saxatilis is currently known only from its type locality, with its distribution area being very small, although the population we observed in 2015 consisted of numerous individuals, and the habitat was in good condition, not disturbed by human activities. The conservation status of P. saxatilis may better be considered as “Endangered” (IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2019).
description: Published as part of Zhang, Ting-Ting, Zhang, Shu-Mei, Xu, Liang & Kang, Ting-Guo, 2022, Pulsatilla saxatilis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from north-east China, pp. 195-202 in Phytotaxa 539 (2) on pages 195-200, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.539.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/6358199