Petrocodon asterocalyx F. Wen, Y. G. Wei & R. L. Zhang WF 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Rui-Li
name: Fu, Long-Fei
name: Li, Shu
name: Wei, Yi-Gang
name: Maciejewski, Stephen
name: Lofurno, Michael
name: Wen, Fang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Lamiales
Gesneriaceae
Petrocodon
Petrocodon asterocalyx

description: Petrocodon asterocalyx F.Wen, Y.G.Wei & R.L.Zhang, sp. nov. (Figs. 2 & 3 A–F)   
 Diagnosis: — Petrocodon asterocalyx is related to P. hancei and P. coriaceifolius, but it differs from the former by the calyx lobes 20–40 × 2–3 mm, corolla 2.5–3.0 cm long, filaments sparsely erectly pubescent, anthers sparsely pubescent, staminodes 3, and stigmas 2, from the latter by leaf blades rhombic-oblong or rhombic, base shallowly cuneate, margin crenulate to serrate, calyx lobes linear, 20–40 × 2–3 mm, and anthers 3.5–3.8 mm long, sparsely pubescent and elliptical.   
 Type: — CHINA. Guangxi: Ziyuan County, Meixi Town, Tianmenshan, in crevice on the rock face, 24°20’24.81”N, 109°12’33.3036”E, elev. ca. 130 m, 10 May 2012 (fl.), F. Wen WF120510 (holotype IBK!; isotype IBK!)   
Perennial herb. Rhizome subterete, stemless, 1.5–5 cm long, 0.3–0.5 cm in diam. Leaves 6–10 or more, all basal, with petiole, leaf blade symmetric or slightly asymmetric in each pair, coriaceous, fragile and easily broken, rhombic-oblong or rhombic, 6.5–13.5 × 2–6 cm, apex obtuse or acute, base shallowly cuneate, margin crenulate to serrate, 5–7-nerved on each side; petiole 1.5–5.5 cm long or longer; petiole, peduncle and pedicel sparsely hispid, with unapparent nodules, green. Cymes 1–5, 4–20- flowered; peduncle purple, 3–10 cm; bracts 2, opposite, linear, entire, 10–15 × 1.5–2.0 mm, glabrous; bracteoles similar to bracts, 6–9 × 1–1.2 mm; pedicel 10–20 mm long. Sepals 5-sect, actinomorphic from the base, linear, 2–4 × 0.2–0.3 cm, outside sparsely strigose, inside glabrous. Corolla pinkish purple, throat with half dark-purple ring, two or three dark-purple longitudinal stripes on each one of lower lip lobe; corolla 2.5–3.0 cm long, extremely short pubescent hairs, tube infundibuliform, 1.2–1.3 cm long, 6–8 mm in diam. in the orifice, ca. 2.5 mm in diam. in the base, abaxial lip ca. 7 mm long, 2-bilobed, lobes triangular, adaxial lip 1.8–2 cm long, split to the middle, lateral lobes obliquely triangular, ca. 4.5 mm long, 6.5–6.8 mm in diam. at base. Stamens 2, adnate to 1.0– 1.1 cm above base of corolla tube; filaments dark purple, linear, 7.8–8.5 mm long, pubescent; anthers dark purple, with longitudinal white stripe at the center, sparsely pubescent, elliptical, 3.5–3.8 mm long, staminodes 3, glabrous, lateral ones adnate ca. 4 mm above base of corolla tube, ca. 0.7 mm long, median adnate ca. 3 mm above base of corolla tube, ca. 0.3 mm long. Disc about 1.5 mm high, pistil ca. 2 cm long; ovary linear, ca. 13 mm long, ca. 1.2 mm in diam. Ovary green, nearly glabrous; style white, with extremely white pubescent hairs, ca. 7 mm long. Stigmas 2, ovate, 0.3 mm long for each one. Fruit not seen.  
 Etymology: — The epithet, “ asterocalyx ”, means that the calyx lobes of this new species are actinomorphic and the whole calyx looks like a star.   
 Vernacular name:— Xíng È Shí Shân Jǜ Tái (AEḆƂƜfiḃ).   
 Habitat and distribution:— Petrocodon asterocalyx is found growing on slopes and cliffs of some conglomerate or sandstone hills, often at crevices in evergreen-broadleaf forest. It is only known in Ziyuan County, Guangxi, South China, where it is of a seasonal monsoon climate. The distribution of this new species and its relatives, P. hancei and P. coriaceifolius, are shown in Figure 4.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Rui-Li, Fu, Long-Fei, Li, Shu, Wei, Yi-Gang, Maciejewski, Stephen, Lofurno, Michael & Wen, Fang, 2018, Petrocodon asterocalyx, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, China, pp. 259-268 in Phytotaxa 343 (3) on pages 262-264, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.343.3.6, http://zenodo.org/record/13719704