Primulina dongguanica F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. Q. Luo 2014, spec. nova
Creators: name: Wen, Fang
name: Wei, Yi-Gang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Lamiales
Gesneriaceae
Primulina
Primulina dongguanica

description: Primulina dongguanica F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. Q. Luo, spec. nova
(Fig. 1-2).
Typus: CHINA. Guangdong: Yinpingzui nature reserve in Dongguan city, grows in crevices of granite cliffs under subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and shrubs, ca. 276 m, 22º53’N, 114º14’E, 3.VIII.2009, Fang Wen 100803 (holo-: IBK!; iso-: IBK!).
A Primulina eburnea, P. dryas, P. napoensis et P. spec. nov. differt bractis rhombiformis, sub angulo ca. 45 ° abientibus, calyx lobis late lanceolatis, corolla 4.5-5.5 cm longa, filamentis ca. 20 mm longis, pistillo 3.5-4.2 cm longo, dense villoso, eglandulato.
Perennial herbs. Short somewhat succulent stems, 1-1.5 cm long, 1.1-1.2 cm in diameter, internodes indistinct. Leaves 6-10, basal or in whorls of three arranged at the top of stem; leaf lamina fleshly chartaceous, ovate-elliptic, 7-15 X 6-10.5 cm, base slightly oblique or symmetrical, broadly cuneate to cordate, margin irregularly obtuse-serrate, apex acute, sparsely strigose on both sides, 3-4-nerved on each side; petiole compressed, 2.5-6.5 X 0.7-1 cm, pubescent and sparsely strigose. Cymes axillary, 3-5 or more, 3-5-flowered or more; peduncle 10.5-16 cm long, 1.7-2.3 mm in diameter, densely erectly long pubescent; bracts 2, opposite, rhombic, 2.1-4.5 X 1.2-1.6 cm, pubescent outside, nearly glabrous inside, positioned at ca. 45° angle, margin entire, apex acute; pedicel 8- 17.5 mm long, densely long pubescent. Pedicel 1.2-2.2 cm, puberulent and glandular puberulent. Calyx 5-parted to the base, lobes equal, broadly lanceolate, ca. 5 X 1.8-2.2 mm, pubescent outside, nearly glabrous inside. Corolla 4.5-5.5 cm long, orifice 9- 1.1 mm in diameter, purple, lilac or fuchsia, the colour of the throat pale purple with two yellowish brown stripes, tubular, the upper part of the interior of the corolla with two dark brown stripes; interior yellowish brown, tube swollen, outer side densely erect-pubescent, inner glabrous; limb distinctly 2-lipped, adaxial lip 2-parted to the middle, lobe ca. 1 cm long, triangular; abaxial lip 3-parted to the base, lobes oblong, 1.2-1.3 cm long. Stamens 2, adnate to ca. 2.3 cm above the corolla base; anthers reniform, ca. 5 mm long, slightly constricted at the middle, glabrous; filaments ca. 2 cm long, pubescent, geniculate at the middle; staminodes 2 with broad base, gradually narrowed to apex, curved in upper part, apex capitate, 8-9 mm long, glabrous; disc annular, brown, ca. 1 mm high. Pistil 3.5-4.2 cm long, densely pubescent, eglandular; ovary linear; style 4-5 mm long. Stigma 2-lobed, 2.5-3 mm long. Capsule and seeds not seen.
Etymology. – The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Dongguan City, Guangdong.
Phenology. – Flowering in August.
Distribution and habitat. – Primulina dongguanica only grows on a mountainside in the Yinpingzui nature reserve, Guangdong (Dongguan) of China (Fig. 3), at an altitude of 276 m. All plants are growing in damp and dark crevices of granite cliffs near a stream.
Conservation. – The only known population is located near a road, and human activities can potentially jeopardize the existence of this species. In WEI & al. (2010), we had assigned the IUCN Category EN B2b (ii, iii, iv). Recently, in November 2012, we revisited the type locality again, and found to our surprise the site destroyed due to road building work. Less than 50 individuals only survived. According to IUCN red list categories (IUCN, 2001: 16-18; PULLIN, 2004), we therefore appraised P. dongguanica as Critically Endangered, CR B2ab (i, iii, v) + C2a (ii).
Morphological relationships. – Primulina dongguanica F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. Q. Luo is morphologically similar to P. eburnea (Hance) Y. Z. Wang (Fig. 4), P. dryas (Dunn) Mich. Möller & A. Weber (Fig. 5 A-D), P. napoensis (Z. Y. Li) Mich. Möller & A. Weber (Fig. 5 E-H) and P. spec. nov. (Fig. 6), but differs from above-mentioned species in bract morphology and position, calyx lobes shape, filament and pistil length and indumentum, and flowering time (Table 1).
description: Published as part of Wen, Fang & Wei, Yi-Gang, 2014, Primulina dongguanica F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. Q. Luo (Gesneriaceae), a new species from South China, pp. 9-19 in Candollea 69 (1) on pages 10-13, DOI: 10.15553/c2014v691a2, http://zenodo.org/record/5761846