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Issue: Vol. 747 No. 2: 17 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-17
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.747.2.5
Page range: 199-206
Abstract views: 0
PDF downloaded: 0

Reinstatement of Dendrobium sinense (Orchidaceae; Dendrobiinae) from D. christyanum with morphological and molecular evidence

College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
MattWang's Orchid Farms, Xichang 615000, China
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Monocots Dendrobium phylogenetics Malaxideae Sect. Formosae taxonomy

Abstract

Dendrobium sinense Tang & F.T.Wang (Orchidaceae) was treated as a synonym of D. christyanum Rchb.f. Critical observations of herbarium materials together with living plants in the wild, however, revealed stable morphological differences between the two taxa. D. sinense differs from D. christyanum by the longer (5.0–21.0 cm vs. 2.0–5.0 cm) and slender (0.3–0.4 cm vs. 0.6–1.0 cm) stems, and the broadly ovate (vs. obliquely rhombic) lateral lobes of labellum. Additionally, the two species exhibit geographically allopatric distributions and distinct, non-overlapping flowering periods. Phylogenetic reconstructions derived from nuclear region ITS and four plastid markers (matK, rbcL, trnH–psbA, and trnL) consistently recover them as separate and well-supported lineages. Consequently, these lines of evidence substantiate the recognition of D. sinense as a distinct species, and its specific status is therefore reinstated.

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How to Cite

Chen, Y.-M., Yan, Y., Huang, S.-M., Zhou, C.-Y., Wang, M.-H. & Li, M.-H. (2026) Reinstatement of Dendrobium sinense (Orchidaceae; Dendrobiinae) from D. christyanum with morphological and molecular evidence. Phytotaxa 747 (2): 199–206. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.747.2.5