Ligustrum fengjieense Xian Y. Li &amp; Si Y. Zeng 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Li, Xian-Yuan
name: Zeng, Si-Yuan
name: Yu, Jie
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Lamiales
Oleaceae
Ligustrum
Ligustrum fengjieense

description: <i>Ligustrum fengjieense</i> Xian Y.Li &amp; Si Y.Zeng, <i>sp. nov.</i> (Figs. 1–2). <b>Type:—</b> CHINA. Chongqing: Fengjie County, Dashu Town, Pingdeng Village, in the woodlands, 31.20831728 N; 109.34546471 E, elev. ca. 850 m, 25 May 2019, <i>Xianyuan Li 2019001</i> (flower, holotype HWA!); <i>ibidem</i>, 26 September 2019, <i>Xianyuan Li 2019002</i> (fruit, paratype HWA!). <b>Diagnosis:—</b> It can be distinguished from <i>Ligustrum pricei</i> and <i>L. expansum</i> by several morphological features (Table 1). The pedicel of <i>L. fengjieense</i> reaches to 10 mm long (vs. 1–3 mm in <i>L. pricei</i> and sessile or nearly 1 mm in <i>L. expansum</i>), and the color of anther is distinct purple in <i>L. fengjieense</i> (yellow in both <i>L. pricei</i> and <i>L. expansum</i>). Besides, <i>L. fengjieense</i> has caudate to acuminate (vs. acute to acuminate in <i>L. pricei</i> and <i>L. expansum</i>) leaf apices. Shrubs or small trees, 2–6 m, evergreen. Branchlets terete, glabrous throughout, the base of branchlet bears persistent scales. Petiole 7–10 mm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic to rhombus-ovate, 5.5–9.5 cm × 2–3.5 cm, leathery, glabrous, base cuneate, apex long acuminate, sometimes acute; primary veins 5 or 6 on each side of midrib, obscure to slightly sunken adaxially, slightly raised abaxially. Panicles terminal, spreading, 4–7 cm × 3–3.5 cm; rachis and pedicel slender, sparse hirsute. Pedicel 7–10 mm. Calyx 1.5–2 mm, glabrous, usually purple at the base. Corolla salverform, 7–8 mm; tube 5–6 mm, 2–3 times longer than lobes. Stamens not exceeding corolla lobes; anthers 1.8–2.4 mm, purple. Fruit black, ellipsoid, 5–8 mm × 3–4 mm, endocarp membranous with fibrous thickening. <b>Phenology:—</b> Flower were observed in May, and fruit in September. <b>Distribution and habitat:—</b> The new species currently found only from the type locality, Pingdeng Village, Fengjie County, Chongqing, in evergreen broad-leaved woodlands, at elevation range of 700– 900 m. <b>Etymology:—</b> The specific epithet refers to Fengjie County, where the type specimen was collected. Owing to its long pedicels, the Chinese name “长梗女ή(Cháng G&amp;ecaron;ng Nǚ Zh&amp;emacr;n)” is suggested. <b>Conservation assessment:—</b> There were only few known sub-populations of <i>Ligustrum fengjieense</i> in Pingdeng Village, Fengjie County, Chongqing. We surveyed along the woodlands and no additional population were found. However, the survey was not thorough enough for us to fully assess its natural distribution. According to IUCN Red List criteria (2019), this new species is temporarily assessed as Data Deficient (DD; criteria B1ab(i–v) + 2ab(i–v)).
description: Published as part of <i>Li, Xian-Yuan, Zeng, Si-Yuan &amp; Yu, Jie, 2021, Ligustrum fengjieense (Oleaceae), a new species from eastern Chongqing, China, pp. 297-300 in Phytotaxa 494 (3)</i> on pages 298-300, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.494.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/5423490