Abstract
Based on critical observations on herbarium specimens (including type material) and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that Cirsium fangii (Asteraceae, Cardueae) is a synonym of C. chienii and both should be placed in the synonymy with C. leo. Moreover, we found that most of the specimens previously identified as C. fangii from Sichuan are different from its type material by an array of characters and represent a new species. We name the new species as C. sichuanense and describe it herein.
References
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<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hu, S.Y. (1966) The Compositae of China (<span style="font-family: KozGoPro-Regular, serif;">Ⅲ</span>). <em>Quarterly Journal of the Taiwan Museum</em> 19: 1–73.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lin, Q. & Yang, Z.R. (2010) Lectotypifications of eighteen names of Chinese taxa in Angiospermae. <em>Bulletin of Botanical Research</em> (Harbin) 30: 129–133.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ling, Y. (1935) Les Composees chinoises de L’Academie de Peiping. <em>Contributions from the Institute of Botany National Academy of Peiping</em> 3: 123–149.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miller, P. (1754) <em>The Gardeners Dictionary</em> (4th ed.), vol. 1. corrected and enlarged. Printed by the author, London, 452 pp.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nakai, T. & Kitagawa, M. (1934) Plantae novae Jeholenses<span style="font-family: KozGoPro-Regular, serif;">Ⅰ</span>. <em>In:</em> Nakai, T., Honda, M. & Kitagawa, M. (Eds.) <em>Report of the First Scientific Expedition to Manchoukuo</em>. pp. 14–67.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Petrak, F. (1938) Über eine neue chinesische <em>Cirsium</em>-Art (<em>C. fangii</em>) aus der Provinz Szetschwan. <em>Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis</em>, 44: 48–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.19380440105</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shi, Z. & Greuter, W. (2011) <em>Cirsium </em>Mill. <em>In</em>: Wu, Z.Y. & Raven, P.H. (Eds.) <em>Flora of China</em>, vol. 20–21. Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, pp. 160–175.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shih, C. (1984) Notulae de plantis tribus <em>Cynarearum</em> familiae Compositarum sinicae (<span style="font-family: KozGoPro-Regular, serif;">Ⅱ</span>). <em>Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica</em> 22: 445–455.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shih, C. (1987) <em>Cirsium </em>Mill. <em>In: </em>Ling, Y. & Shih, C. (Eds.) <em>Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae</em>, vol. 78 (1). Science Press, Beijing, pp. 78–135. [In Chinese]</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trautvetter, E.R. von & Meyer, C.A. (1856) Florula ochotensis phanerogama. <em>In:</em> Middendorff, A.Th. von, <em>Reise in den äussersten Norden und Osten Sibiriens</em>, vol. 1(2,2). Keiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg, pp. 1–133.</span></span></span></p>