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Issue: Vol. 741 No. 3: 17 Feb. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-02-17
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.741.3.4
Page range: 289-297
Abstract views: 61
PDF downloaded: 3

A new species of Ponerorchis (Orchidaceae, Orchideae) from Xizang, China

State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories, Godawari, Lalitpur, Nepal
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
Motuo Biodiversity Observation and Research Station of Xizang Autonomous Region, Institute of Plateau Biology of Xizang Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, Xizang
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
Milin County molecular phylogenetics Orchid plant diversity Monocots

Abstract

A new orchid species Ponerorchis milinensis, from Milin County, Xizang of China is described here on the basis of morphological characters and molecular phylogenetics. Ponerorchis milinensis is morphologically close to P. nana but readily distinguished from it by a set of vegetative and reproductive characters, including its plant size, the number of leaves per stem, size of flowers, lip features, and spur shape. Molecular phylogenetic study using two nuclear markers (nrITS and Xdh) and three plastid markers (matK, psbA-trnH, and trnL-F) showed that P. milinensis formed a clade with P. tibetica and P. farreri. Ponerorchis milinensis differs from the latter two species by having a 3-lobed lip, two calli at the entrance of spur and 3-lobed stigma.

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How to Cite

Pandey, T.R., Wang, Y., Ye, C., Wang, X. & Jin, X.-H. (2026) A new species of Ponerorchis (Orchidaceae, Orchideae) from Xizang, China. Phytotaxa 741 (3): 289–297. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.741.3.4