Clematis jialasaensis var. macrantha, Wang, 2001

Identity of Clematis jialasaensis var. macrantha View in CoL

Our observations of living plants within the Shuifu population of Clematis armandi ( Figs. 19–21 View FIGURE 19 View FIGURE 20 View FIGURE 21 ) clearly indicate that C. jialasaensis var. macrantha is not essentially different from C. armandi in any characters. The two type specimens of C. jialasaensis var. macrantha each consist of only two short branches, not including the length of an internode of the main stem, and no large scales of axillary buds are visible from the specimens ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ), although two scaleleaves are present at a node on the isotype ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). The plants within the Shuifu population match C. armandi very well in all the characters. Although large scales of axillary buds are often absent in branches of current year, they are usually present at the base of cymes borne on branches of last years ( Figs. 19C, D View FIGURE 19 , 20D View FIGURE 20 , 21A–C View FIGURE 21 ). It is clear that the incompleteness of the type specimens of C. jialasaensis var. macrantha , which bear no scales at the base of cymes, has misled Wang (2003) to describe the variety as new. In fact, C. armandi is fairly common in Shuifu county in northeastern Yunnan, the type locality of C. jialasaensis var. macrantha . Four specimens of C. armandi from this county are shown in Figure 24 View FIGURE 24 .

Our observations of living plants within the Leibo population of Clematis armandi ( Figs. 14–16 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 ) further indicate that C. jialasaensis var. macrantha is identical with C. armandi . The collection M.Y. He & Z.M. Tan 117028, which was made from Leibo and cited by Wang (2003) under both C. jialasaensis var. macrantha and C. armandi , includes specimens with or without large scales of axillary buds ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). It is obvious that Wang (2003) referred those with large scales of axillary buds to C. armandi but those without large scales of axillary buds to C. jialasaensis var. macrantha . As shown in Figures 14–16 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 , the plants within the Leibo population match C. armandi very well in all the characters. Although large scales of axillary buds are often absent on branches of current year, they are usually present at the base of cymes borne on branches of last years ( Figs. 14C View FIGURE 14 , 15A View FIGURE 15 , 16 View FIGURE 16 ).