Fordiophyton chenii S. Jin Zeng & X. Y. Zhuang. A 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zeng, Si-Jin
name: Zou, Long-Hai
name: Wang, Pan
name: Hong, Wen-Jun
name: Zhang, Guo-Qiang
name: Chen, Li-Jun
name: Zhuang, Xue-Ying
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Myrtales
Melastomataceae
Fordiophyton
Fordiophyton chenii

description: Fordiophyton chenii S. Jin Zeng & X. Y. Zhuang, sp. nov. (ṪKṖÜË), (Figs. 7, 8)   
 Type: CHINA. Guangdong (ḞAE): Jiangmen (ĭ‼), Enping (ỄṬ), on damp slopes of ravines in broad-leaved forests, 344 m, 28 Feb. 2013, S. Jin Zeng et al. Q006 (Holotype IBSC; Isotypes B, CANT, HK, K, MO).   
 Diagnosis: The new species Fordiophyton chenii resembles F. cordifolium but differs in its very short stems, rosette leaves, hypanthia with densely glandular trichomes and shorter stamens with yellow anthers.   
A perennial herb, succulent, with raphides both in vegetative and floral parts (Fig. 5, A – C). Stem stoloniferous, 1.6–3 cm, internodes not distinct. Leaves in a basal or sub-basal rosette; petiole 8–18 cm long, 4-sided, narrow-winged, sparsely glandular trichomes when young, glabrescent later; leaf blade ovate or ovate-elliptic, 9–13 × 9–12 cm, base cordate, apex acute, margin entire, membranaceous or slightly fleshy, glabrous; secondary veins 4 on each side of midvein, conspicuous; tertiary veins numerous, parallel, and connecting secondary veins; glabrous on both surfaces; abaxial veins typically purple. Inflorescences terminal, umbellate panicles, each branch 5–12-flowered, subsessile; peduncle 8–24.5 cm, hirsute on nodes, but glabrescent later; bracts oblong, with dense glandular trichomes, caducous. Hypanthia funnel-shaped, 10–12 mm, with dense glandular trichomes; calyx lobes ovate-triangle, 5 × 4–5 mm with dense glandular trichomes. Petals pink or purplish, oblong, ca. 10 × 8 mm, apex pinkish and with 1 glandular trichome at tip. Stamens 8, 4 long and 4 short arranged in 2 whorls. Longer stamens ca. 22 mm; anthers oblong-linear, ca. 12 mm, bases with an obtuse fork, connective bases inflated and shorter than that of anther (Fig. 2, A). Shorter stamens ca. 9 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 4 mm, yellow, base obtuse fork, connective base slightly inflated (Fig. 2, B). Ovary half-inferior, ovate, apex truncate and with a membranous crown; placentas shortly stalked (Fig. 6, B). Capsule funnel-shaped, apex truncate, ca. 12–15 mm long, 5–7 mm in diameter. Seeds many, light brown, ca. 1 mm long. Flowering in January–February, fruiting in February–March.  
 Distribution and habitat: Fordiophyton chenii grows in damp locations in ravines with broad-leaved forests between 327 m and 390 m in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China.   
 Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Chinese botanist and Professor Cheih Chen, who made great contributions to the taxonomy of Chinese melastomes.   
 Conservation status: Based on its narrow geographic range and small and isolated populations with few individuals, Fordiophyton chenii should be considered endangered (EN) according to the IUCN red list criteria (IUCN 2015).
description: Published as part of Zeng, Si-Jin, Zou, Long-Hai, Wang, Pan, Hong, Wen-Jun, Zhang, Guo-Qiang, Chen, Li-Jun & Zhuang, Xue-Ying, 2016, Preliminary phylogeny of Fordiophyton (Melastomataceae), with the description of two new species, pp. 45-61 in Phytotaxa 247 (1) on pages 54-57, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.247.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13678782