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Issue: Vol. 693 No. 3: 14 Mar. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-03-14
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.693.3.2
Page range: 205-220
Abstract views: 236
PDF downloaded: 21

Lilium evansii (Liliaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China, formed by ancient hybridization and subsequent isolation

CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Yunnan Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Mangshi 678400, China
Yunnan Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Mangshi 678400, China
Yunnan Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Mangshi 678400, China
Yunnan Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Mangshi 678400, China
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resources, Yunnan Branch Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinghong 666100, China
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610213, China. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
flora of China flora of Hengduan Mountains Lilium henrici Lilium mackliniae Nomocharis Monocots

Abstract

A new species, Lilium evansii (Liliaceae family), was recently discovered in Yunnan Province, China. Although its range is nearest that of L. henrici, it exhibits the greatest morphological similarity to L. mackliniae, native to the isolated region of Manipur, India, from which it is separated by the vast Kachin Plains. By integration of morphological features and molecular phylogenetic analyses, we clarify the taxonomic placement of L. evansii. The observed discordance between nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid analyses in resolving the phylogenetic position of this species coupled with its distribution in the Hengduan Mountains points to incomplete lineage sorting or ancient hybridization events and subsequent geographic isolation as key factors in the emergence of this species. Comparative studies using molecular phylogenetics underscore the importance of this discovery for enhancing our understanding of evolutionary processes in the Lilium-Nomocharis complex, a group that thrives in the biodiversity hotspot spanning the Hengduan Mountains and adjacent Himalayan regions.

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How to Cite

Wang, J.-B., Yuan, Y.-M., Ma, W.-Y., Yan, M.-L., Yang, C.-M., Pai, Z.-Z., Li, H.-T. & Gao, Y.-D. (2025) Lilium evansii (Liliaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China, formed by ancient hybridization and subsequent isolation. Phytotaxa 693: 205–220. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.693.3.2