Peliosanthes purpureiflora H.Z. Feng, 2025

Peliosanthes purpureiflora H.Z. Feng , sp. nov., Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 .

Type:— CNINA. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Liuzhou , Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Laobao Town , Qushan Village , secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest, growing in dark and humid valleys at elevations of 300‒500 meters, 21 April 2024, R.K. Li 388 ; herbarium specimen prepared from the plant cultivated in garden in Zaozhuang University on 27 November 2024, H.Z. Feng 11-4 (holotype SYS!) .

Additional specimens examined (paratype):—Cultivated in N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden, Moscow, Russia, garden number 2017.13573 which received from Komarov Botanical Inst., St. Petersburg, Russia, presumably from China, Anonymous s.n. (paratype LE01093248 photo!).

Diagnosis:—Similar to P. yangchunensis , but differs mainly in the pedicel horizontal, the flower violet, perianth segments spreading in the same plane and slightly folded inward at the tips, corona truncate-conical; ovary cross-section round, style cylindrical ca. 1.2 mm long with 3 wing-like projections.

Description:—Terrestrial perennial herb with short, erect to ascending, sometimes branching rhizome, ca. 3 mm in diameter, with some fleshy roots, ca. 1.8 mm in diameter. Cataphyllus chartaceous, 2.5–5.5 cm long, 7–10 mm wide. Petiole cylindrical, 6–25 cm long, 1.2–1.8 mm in diameter, straight or curved. Blade green, lanceolate-oblong, 12–27 cm long, 3.5–7 cm wide, glabrous, glossy, brightly green on both sides, shortly attenuate and acute at apex, margin entire, secondary transverse veinlets distinct, 7–9 veins on the adaxial side and twice as many on the abaxial side. Inflorescence a raceme, ca. 11 cm long, violet, erect; peduncle violet, straight or slightly curved, ca. 9 cm long, 2.2–3.0 mm in diam., with 6–8 sterile bracts; sterile bracts violet, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 6–11 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide. Rachis violet, 4.8–8.5 cm long, 1.2–1.5 mm in diameter, bearing ca. 25–33 flowers, bracts 2 at base of each pedicel, violet, herbaceous, ovate to triangular, concave, attenuate; outer bracts 6.5–10 mm long, ca. 3.5 mm wide, longer than pedicel, often with strongly recurved margin at base; inner bracts ca. 1.2 mm long. Flowers solitary in bracteal axil, broadly open, facing horizontally. Pedicel violet, ca. 2.8 mm long, 0.8 mm in diameter, ca. 15 mm across, jointed with articulation. Perianth campanulate when young, but star-like when fully open, violet, thick, fleshy, 1.5 cm in diameter when fully open; tube vanishingly short, ca. 1 mm long, ca. 1.8 mm in diameter. Perianth segments are broadly triangular when first opened, ca. 5 mm long, ca. 3 mm broad, then the edges are rolled, and arranged in the same plane, narrowly ovate to ovate-triangular, and the tips are folded inward, ca. 0.8 mm broad. Corona violet, truncate-conical, obtusely hexagonal outside, inside with prominent broad protrusions towards flower centre in radii of tepals, distinctly hexagonal, ca. 1.5 mm high, ca. 3 mm across, distal margin 6-subdentate, forming an orifice 1.5–1.8 mm in diameter. Anthers 6, introrse, oblong, about ca. 0.7 mm long, sessile, dorsally attached to upper portion of corona. Ovary superior cylindrical, ca. 0.9 mm tall, ca. 1.5 mm across; style conspicuous, ca. 1.2 mm long with 3 wing-like projections; stigma 3-lobed, 0.3–0.4 mm across. Seeds ovoid to narrowly ovoid, about 1.1–1.3 cm long, glossy blue.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the color of its flowers purple. The Chinese name is given as " ṱṯ¨ Ɨḁ "; Zǐ Huā Qiú Zǐ Cǎo (Chinese Pin-Yin transliteration).

Ecology:—Primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest on damp and dark valley at elevations 150–1050 m a.s.l. Flowers in April–May. Locally common (LR), following the guidelines of IUCN (2024).

Distribution:— China: Western Hunan, Southeastern Sichuan, Southwestern Hubei, Southern Chongqing, Northeastern Guizhou, Northern Guangxi. This species grows in primary or secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest valleys and is relatively common. Endemic. This species has been introduced in N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden, Moscow and Komarov Botanical Inst., St. Petersburg, Russia.

Notes:—Currently we hardly find any other species closely related to Peliosanthes epigynica N. Tanaka,Averyanov

& K.S. Nguyen in Averyanov et al. (2024: 196). In the past, Peliosanthes purpureiflora has been incorrectly identified as P. macrostegia . However, the differences between this species and P. macrostegia are substantial. The new species has horizontal pedicels (vs. drooping), flowers star-like (vs. campanulate), perianth segments margin strongly revolute (vs. straight), the cross section of the corona regular hexagon (vs. circular) on the outside and hexagon (vs. round triangular) on the inside, ovary cross-section round (vs. round triangular), style cylindrical (vs. conical).

The edges of the perianth segments in Peliosanthes purpureiflora are rolled, and arranged in the same plane, reminiscent of the P. yangchunensis , P. kenhilloides Averyanov & N. Tanaka (in Averyanov et al. 2016a: 211) and P. kenhillii Averyanov, N. Tanaka & K.S. Nguyen (in Averyanov et al. 2016b: 30). But in P. yangchunensis H.Z. Feng & W.B. Liao (2024: 263) , the flowers are drooping, and the perianth lobes are yellow-green, incurved, and conical in style without wing-like projections. In P. kenhilloides and P. kenhillii , however, the corona is flat at apex, without a protuberance on the style. Therefore, the new species is only convergently evolved with these species. P. tonkinensis F.T. Wang & Tang (1936: 83) , distributed in northern Vietnam, also has reddish-purple flowers with perianth segments that are curled at the edges, resembling the new species. However, the former has a standard inferior ovary, and the style without prominent.

This species is the most widely distributed and highest latitude species, reaching as far as Chengkou County, Chongqing City, at the southern foot of the Daba Mountains at 32°12′N (T.L. Dai 103086, PE00290219), and the southernmost specimen record is Liujiang County, Guangxi, at 24°15'N, but there is almost no variation between these populations, which is different from the narrowly distributed endemic species growing in tropical karst habitats in Indochina.

Selected specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Emeishan, 236 Sichuan Task Exped. 0149 ( PE 02087282!). Z.D. Chen et al. 960162 ( PE 01570376!). Shiping, S.G. Tang 1499 ( PE 00290218!). Junlian, Sichuan Economic Plant Exped. 0098 ( PE 00036319! & CDBI0165753 photo!). Xuyong, X.F. Gao et al. HGX10157 ( CDBI 0226733!); L. Zhang, X.M. Zhou & W.B. Ju HGX14219 (CDBI0226531 photo!). Gongxian, Anonymous 122 ( SM 722205299!). Xingwen Exped. 645 (SM722205300 photo!). Qianwei, Anonymous Le 72-146 (SM722205304 photo!). Daxian Exped. 0109 ( SM 722205306!). Zhenxiong, H.Z. Feng 21-362. Hubei: Hefeng, H.J. Li 6473 (HIB0159766 photo!). Xianfeng, H.J. Li 7773 (HIB0159767 photo!). Enshi, Q.H. Liu 632 (HIB0159772 photo!). Lichuan, Anonymous 65 (HIB0159773 photo!). Hunan: Yongshui, Peiking Exped. 001233 ( PE 01340172!). Hongjiang, Anonymous s.n. ( PE 00036330!). Hongjiang, Anjiang Exped. 1400 ( PE 00290215!). Dongkou, L.H. Liu & G.Z. He 16754 (IBSC0644543 photo!). Qianyang, Z.T. Li 1400 (IBSC0644542 photo!). Tongdao, Y.L. Zhao 930174 ( SYS 00023948!). Suining, J.J. Zou & Z.P. Zhou 1404260 (CSFI028956 photo!). Zhangjiajie, H. Zhou & D.S. Zhou 15050607 (CSFI040351 photo!). Longshan, D.K. Tian et al. LS-2114 (CSH0093072 photo!). Jishou, L. Wu 4591 (BNU0033142 photo!). Guzhang, L. Li 4331261503031221 (JIU10628 photo!). Sangzhi, H.S. He 080503006 (JIU30052 photo!). Guizhou: Kaiyang, H.T. Zhao 1131 (GYBG0002499 photo!). Guiding, S.H. Wei 070506030 (GYBG0002350 photo!). Daozhen, Z.Y. Liu 2034535 ( IMC 0014824!). Shibing, S.G. Chen 522623140515179LY (GZTM0066886 photo!). Wudang, Wudang Exped. 520112151015021LY (GZTM0049051 photo!). Zhengan, J.H. Zheng 520324160411001LY (GZTM0044211 photo!). Qixingguan, S.Y. Peng 522401161110029LY (GZTM0037557 photo!). Chongqing: Jiangjin, Z.Y. Liu & J. Zhang S-0321 (IMC0051346 photo!). Wulong, ZY. Liu 972659 (IMC0014825 photo!). Nanchuan, S.J. Zhang 11-4032 (HIB0176135 photo!). Shizhu, Z.Y. Liu 0125 (IMC0014811 photo!). Fengjie, Z.Y. Liu 972151 (IMC0014809 photo!). Banan, Z.Y. Liu 971400 (IMC0014808 photo!). Wulong, Anonymous 1175 (SM722205293 photo!). Beibei, Z.M. Huang 0522 (SM722205291 photo!). Chengkou, T.L. Dai 103086 ( PE 00290219!). Guangxi, Huaping Exped. H1826 ( IBK 00228505!). Rongshui, Beijing Exped. 891834 ( PE 02017775!). Rongan, Rongan Exped. 450224170808021LY ( IBK 00421674!). Liujiang, Liujiang Exped. 450221180812048LY ( IBK 00426082!). Longsheng, Longsheng Exped. 450328121129004LY ( GXMG 0130504!). Yongfu, Yongfu Exped. 450326130305039LY ( GXMG 0152656!). Jinxiu, Dayaoshan Exped. 13092 ( IBK 00196005!).