Trichosanthes napoensis D. X. Nong & L. Q. Huang, 2015

Trichosanthes napoensis D. X. Nong & L. Q. Huang View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 )

Type: — CHINA. Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, Baise City, Napo County, Pingmeng Town, Nianjing Village, Xima Tun, Roadside and shrub of Limestone foothills , alt. 978 m, 12 October 2014, D. X. Nong 451026141012021LY (Holotype: GXMG! (specimen with fruit) ; isotypes: GXMG! , CMMI! ).

Lianas, woody. Stems robust, striate, glabrous, lenticels densely covered. Tendrils usually 3-fid. Leaves pedately 5- foliolate, thinly leathery; adaxially deep green, abaxially pale green, leaf blade rough, white punctuate dense on both surface, remotely sinuate-dentate; petiole 7–9 cm, glabrous; central leaflets oblong-obovate, base nearly truncate, 7–10 × 3.5–4 cm, petiolules 0.5–0.8 cm; lateral leaflets broadly sickled, 4–5× 2.5–3 cm, base nearly sunken, petiolules of lateral leaflets combined 0.8–1 cm, lateral truncated; secondary veins raised, veins 3–5 pairs. Fruiting peduncle robust, ca. 1.5 cm; fruit red, globose, 6–7 cm in diameter, glabrous, with a protrusion at apex, ca. 0.2 cm. Seeds numerous, yellow-brown, compressed, oblong-elliptic, with ridge at margin, 1.4–1.6 × 0.7–0.9 cm, base nearly sunken, apex truncated and quadrilateral. Flowering not observed, fruiting September–December.

Distribution & Habitat: — Trichosanthes napoensis is endemic to Napo County, Guangxi, China. It grows on roadside and in thickets on limestone foothills, at elevations of 900–1000 m.

Etymology: —The specific epithet ‘ napoensis ’ refers to the locality where the new species occurs, the Napo County, Baise City, Guangxi Province.

Paratypes: — The same locality roadside, 12 October 2014, D. X. Nong & L. Q. Huang 451026141012024LY (paratype, CMMI!) .

Relationships: — Trichosanthes napoensis belongs to Trichosanthes sect. Involucraria Wight (1840:52) and is close to T. pedata Merr. & Chun (1934:20) in having pedately 5-foliolate leaves and globose fruit but differs by its 3- fid tendrils on the stem, oblong-obovate central leaflet and nearly jointed base lateral leaflets. In addition, T. napoensis is characterized by its robust stem, fruit with a prominent protrusion at the apex, seed oblong-elliptic, ridge at the margin, base nearly sunken, truncated and quadrilateral apex ( Table1 View TABLE 1 ).