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Type: Article
Published: 2015-02-25
Page range: 1–26
Abstract views: 22
PDF downloaded: 16

New species, taxonomic renovations, and typifications in Gaultheria series Trichophyllae (Ericaceae)

Department of Botany, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, California 94118-4503, USA.
Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia; Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China.
Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia; Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China.
Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia; Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650201, China.
Himalaya-Hengduan mountains lectotypes new species

Abstract

Expeditions to the Gaoligong Mountains and Biluo Snow Mountains in western Yunnan Province, China have uncovered new taxonomic information about the species of Gaultheria series Trichophyllae (Ericaceae) that are known to occur in these ranges. Based on these data, we describe two species as new to science (G. ciliisepala and G. stenophylla) and elevate four varieties (Chiogenes suborbicularis var. albiflorus, G. sinensis vars. crassifolia and major, and G. trichophylla var. obovata) to the species level (as G. albiflora, G. crassifolia, G. major, and G. obovata, respectively). We provide a lectotype and a revised description for G. eciliata because the type was discovered to also include individuals of G. albiflora. Similarly, we provide a lectotype and a revised description for G. sinensis because the type was discovered to also include an individual of G. crassifolia; moreover, the protologue of G. sinensis includes paratypes of three other species. Illustrations and photographic images of living plants in the field are included for all species. Our additions and changes raise the number of species recognized in G. series Trichophyllae from 10 to 16, with more to be expected as the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains are further surveyed for these plants.