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Issue: Vol. 313 No. 1: 11 July 2017
Type: Article
Published: 2017-07-11
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.313.1.9
Page range: 130–136
Abstract views: 23
PDF downloaded: 1

Pilea nonggangensis (Urticaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China

Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Identification & Naming Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew TW9 3AE, United Kingdom.
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
species discovery limestone karst taxonomy botany Eudicots

Abstract

Pilea nonggangensis Y. G. Wei, L. F. Fu & A. K. Monro, a new species from Guangxi, China is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically most similar to P. basicordata from which it differs by being dioecious, having peltate leaf blades, membranous stipules, paired inflorescences and larger bracts. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and plastid trnL-F intron spacer (trnL-F) DNA sequence data from the new species and 20 local congeneric species are used to resolve the systematic position of the new species within Pilea. Despite vastly different morphology the molecular evidence suggests that P. nonggangensis is most closely related to P. pseudonotata. A Global Species Conservation Assessment classifies P. nonggangensis as Vulnerable (VU).