Epimedium tianmenshanensis T. Deng, D. G. Zhang & H. Sun. A 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zhang, Dai-Gui
name: Deng, Tao
name: Kim, Changkyun
name: Zhang, Jian-Wen
name: Nie, Ze-Long
name: Sun, Hang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Ranunculales
Berberidaceae
Epimedium
Epimedium tianmenshanensis

description: Epimedium tianmenshanensis T. Deng, D. G. Zhang & H. Sun, sp. nov. (Figs. 1–3)   
  Holotype:  — CHINA. NW Hunan, Zhangjiajie City, Tianmenshan National Geological Park (29°34′ N, 110°28′E), wet slopes under or on the edge of mixed forests, alt. 1457 m, 16 May 2007, T. Deng, D. G. Zhang & H. Sun 544 (KUN) (Figs. 1–3).   
Herbs, perennial, 28–45 cm tall; stems erect, terete, fistulose, smooth, 4–8 mm diam. Leaves basal and cauline, trifoliate; leaflets thickly leathery, ovate to narrowly ovate, 4.0–9.3 × 2.1–3.9 cm, bases deeply cordate, adaxially smooth, abaxially glabrate, the terminal leaflet with equal, rounded lobes, the lateral leaflets oblique with outer lobes larger and rounded, inner lobes also rounded at base, margins finely spinose-serrate, apex acuminate. Fertile stems with 2 trifoliate, opposite leaves; raceme 13- to 19-flowered, densely glandular hairy; pedicels 0.7–2.0 cm. Flowers small, yellow, 0.2–0.4 cm diam.; outer sepals 4, ovate, caducous; inner sepals ovoid to widely ovoid, occasionally narrowly so, white, occasionally light mulberry-purple, 3.9–4.6 × 2.1–2.3 mm, margin corrugated; petals incurving, as long as inner sepals or a little shorter than the latter, spurred, but the calcar or spur very short, elongate, slightly incurved or not, ca. 5.0 mm, yellow; stamens yellow, ca. 3.0 mm, slightly exposed from the petals; filaments of stamens erect, ca. 0.7 mm, yellow; anthers valvate, revolute. Capsule ca. 1.2 cm; persistent style ca. 2.5 mm; seeds 2, long ellipsoid to cylindrical, ca. 2.0 × 1.6 mm.  
 Etymology. The epithet tianmenshanensis is derived from the name of the mountain, Tianmenshan, where E. tianmenshanensis was collected.   
 Distribution and Habitat. Based on present collections, Epimedium tianmenshanensis is a rare species. It occurs only in limited areas on Mt. Tianmen, Tianmenshan National Geological Park, Yongding County, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, on wet slopes under or on the edge of mixed forests (Fig. 4). During botanical expeditions to Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Chongqing provinces in 2009 and 2010, we found no additional populations. Additional collections may help to clarify its full distribution.   
 Phenology. Flowering and fruiting: April–June.   
 Proposed IUCN conservation status. Epimedium tianmenshanensis is restricted to Mt. Tianmen and is, based on our observations, uncommon in the area. Further exploration may result in the discovery of additional localities for the new taxon. Because the only known population occupies an area of less than 50 km 2, E. tianmenshanensis should be classified as CE—critically endangered—following the IUCN guidelines (IUCN 2008), at least until other populations are found. Additional ecological and biological studies are needed to determine effective conservation measures.   
 Additional Specimen Examined. CHINA. NW Hunan, Zhangjiajie City, Tianmenshan, wet slopes under the edge of mixed forests, alt. 1450 m, 10 May 2012, T. Deng et al. 46 (KUN); alt. 1480 m, 2 May 2013, D.G. Zhang et al. 1358 (JIU).
description: Published as part of Zhang, Dai-Gui, Deng, Tao, Kim, Changkyun, Zhang, Jian-Wen, Nie, Ze-Long & Sun, Hang, 2015, Epimedium tianmenshanensis (Berberidaceae), a new species from Hunan, China, pp. 33-43 in Phytotaxa 222 (1) on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.222.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13635382