Peliosanthes qixingkengensis H. Z.Feng, Xiao Yun Chen & Q.Fan, 2025

Peliosanthes qixingkengensis H. Z.Feng, Xiao Yun Chen & Q.Fan , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 & 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Diagnosis: — Peliosanthes qixingkengensis differs from all other known species in the genus by its flattened and split corona, 3–6-lobed stigma, and 3–6-locular ovary. Additionally, it is further distinguished from most congeners by its cataphylls (up to 14 cm long), which form membranous sheaths encasing the petioles.

Type: — CHINA. Guangdong Province: Jiangmen City, Enping Couny, Qixingkeng Nature Reserve, valley disturbed forest, elev. 160 m, 5 January 2025, H. Z. Feng, Q.D. Xiong & X. Y. Chen 2025001 (holotype: SYS 00237020!).

Description: —Plant herbaceous, terrestrial, perennial, evergreen, entirely glabrous. Rhizome plagyotropic, never erect, 4–9 cm long, 3–4.5 mm in diameter, covered with scaly cataphylls. Old roots woody, rarely branched, 2.5–3 mm in diam., young roots fleshy, 2–3mm in diam., densely white pubescent. Cataphylls up to 14 cm long, membranous, sheath-like wrapped around the petiole, light brown, soon becoming dry. Foliage leaves ascending, simple, stiff. Petiole cylindrical, 17–35 cm long, 1.3–1.7 mm in diam., blade entire, lanceolate-oblong, 11–25 cm long, 7–15 mm wide, dark green; base narrowly cuneate; blade gradually tapering towards apex but apex itself obtuse; longitudinal veins ca. 35 (including midvein, showing basal perfect acrodromous venation), parallel; transversal veinlets numerous, visible, sub-perpendicular to longitudinal veins. Racemes erect to ascending, up to ca. 16 cm long, flowers solitary in axils of primary bracts. Peduncle erect, 12–15.5 cm long, 1.2–1.8 mm in diameter, longitudinally ribbed, violet, bearing 3–5 sterile bracts; basal sterile bracts 3.5–3.9 cm long, 5–9.5 mm wide, scary when mature, navicular, lanceolate, clasp, violet. Rachis straight to arcuate, up to 14.5 cm long, longitudinally ribbed, violet. fertile (floral) bracts 2 (1 outer bract and 1 inner bracteole) for each flower, outer bracts shorter than floral buds, 3.5–4.5 mm long, 1.8–2.0 mm wide scarious when mature, navicular, lanceolate, violet, inner bracts ca. 1.1 mm long, ca. 0.7 mm wide, lanceolate, acuminate. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual. Upon initial anthesis, the campanulate blossom exhibits a nodding orientation. Perianth lobes margin purple and yellow-green in the middle, as well as on the back, and characterized by a prominently elevated spherical corona and purple surface. After fully blooming, the corona becomes rotate, facing horizontally to slightly nodding, with the perianth lobes slightly reflexed and inner turning yellow-green, generally purple-spotted outside, while the corona slightly protrudes and its color shifts from purple to brown. Pedicel 4–4.4 mm long, 0.8–1 mm in diameter, articulated with ovary. Perianth 8.5–8.7 mm in diameter when fully opened; lobes 6, arranged apparently in two similar whorls but the inner slightly narrower, 3–3.3 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide at base, triangular, with rounded apex, and with serrated margin at the top. Stamens 6; filaments united forming fleshy coronalike structure (so-called corona); corona ca. 0.5 mm high, ca. 3.5 mm in diameter, broadly dome-shaped and spherical in outline, apically with 6 prominent broadly triangular lobes in the radii of anthers, 2–4 lobes even split to the base; orifice of corona ca. 2 mm in diameter; anthers in the radii of tepals, attached to the inner surface of corona just below orifice, dorsifixed, introrse, sessile, ca. 0.8 mm long, cylindrical to ovate, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary semi-inferior position, broadly pyramidal, hexagonal in outline, 1.3 mm high, ca. 3 mm in diam., 3–6-locular, containing 4 ovules on basal placenta (some locular aborted in 4–6-locular); style ca. 1.1 mm high, 3-lobed, but cylindrical in longitudinal section, with prominent furrows along borders between carpels; stigmas 3–6–lobed, carinal, very short, verrucose. Seeds ellipsoid, blue. ca. 1.5 cm long, 0.8 cm wide.

Etymology: —The specific epithet qixingkengensis refers to the Qixingkeng Provincial Nature Reserve in Enping, Guangdong, China, the type locality of this species. The Chinese name for Peliosanthes qixingkengensis is proposed as “七¥坑ḴŦḁ” (Qīxīngkēng qiúzǐcǎo), where “ḴŦḁ” (qiúzǐcǎo) is the vernacular Chinese name for the genus Peliosanthes , and “七¥坑” (Qīxīngkēng) directly transliterates the specific epithet qixingkengensis (derived from the locality’s name).

Phenology: —Flowering in January–February.

Distribution and ecology: — Peliosanthes qixingkengensis is currently known only from a single forest area in Enping County, Guangdong Province, China. The type specimens were collected from rock crevices within a granitic valley—a site that represents its sole known distribution. This population comprises a single clump of approximately 50 genetically identical individuals (likely clones), growing at an elevation of 160 meters above sea level. The forest area is notable for supporting a dense population of Cinnamomum bejolghota . Within the local mountain ridge, P. qixingkengensis co-occurs with several characteristic species, including Heptapleurum minutistellatum , Ficus fistulosa , Saurauia tristyla , Pellionia radicans , Angiopteris fokiensis , Actinostephanus enpingensis , Alocasia odora , Cibotium barometz , and Bambusa chungii .

Taxonomic relationships: —In the genus Peliosanthes , only 12 species possess a dissected corona and in all other species, the corona is solid. These species are:

P. brevicoronata M.N. Tamura & Poopath (2013: 108) View in CoL .

P. caesia J.M.H. Shaw (2009: 249) View in CoL .

P. cambodiana Aver. & N.Tanaka View in CoL in Luu et al. (2013: 237), P. choriandra Aver., N. Tanaka & K.S. Nguyen (2017: 699) View in CoL , P. curviandra Vislobokov (2020: 70) View in CoL ,

P. gracilipes ( Craib 1912: 411) N.Tanaka (2000: 148) View in CoL . P. minutiflora N. Tanaka (2013: 135) View in CoL .

P. oksanae Kalyuzhny & N.Tanaka View in CoL in Tanaka et al. (2020: 291). P. separata Vislobokov (2016: 186) View in CoL .

P. thachii Luu , Nguyen-Le & H.C. Nguyen (2024: 171), P. triandra Aver. & N.Tanaka (2014: 18) View in CoL ,

P. weberi ( Rodriguez 1934: 97) Tanaka (2004: 362) View in CoL ,

Among the species listed above, Peliosanthes choriandra View in CoL , P. curviandra View in CoL , P. thachii , P. triandra View in CoL , and P. weberi View in CoL — originally classified under the distinct genus Neolourya Rodriguez (1934: 96) View in CoL but later merged into Peliosanthes View in CoL by Tanaka (2004) —all exhibit a slender, tortuous style with the stigma positioned above the anthers, incurved tepals, and an inferior ovary. These traits contrast sharply with those of P. qixingkengensis , which displays a shorter style, a stigma positioned below the anthers, non-incurved perianth segments (tepals), and a half-inferior ovary.

Peliosanthes oksanae , P. caesia , and P. gracilipes share strongly reflexed tepals and erect filaments, yet differ from the new species in filament structure: in P. oksanae , the filaments are almost free to the base; in P. gracilipes , the filaments are basally connate; and in P. caesia , the filaments are largely connate, forming a dome-shaped, shallowly dentate corona. In contrast, the new species exhibits non-reflexed tepals and a flat corona. Additionally, the new species is distinct from P. brevicoronata , which is characterized by erect and elongated filaments combined with erect tepals.

Peliosanthes qixingkengensis differs from P. minutiflora in having an indistinct aerial stem and an erect corona. Although P. separata also possesses a dissected corona, it distinctly differs from the new species by its yellowish-green flowers, dense inflorescences, and erect corona.

We observed that the floral morphology of Peliosanthes qixingkengensis varies between the early blooming stage and full bloom. Newly opened flowers at the inflorescence apex are campanulate and nutant, with a convex corona resembling that of P. macrostegia Hance (1885: 328) . After full bloom, the flowers become rotate and horizontally oriented, with perianth lobes spreading and reflexed, displaying fine serrations on the upper margins. Notably, the initially convex corona gradually flattens and dissected during this transition. Cross-sectional analysis of the ovary confirms 3–6 septa ( Fig. 1H, J–M View FIGURE 1 ), a stable trait excluding sporadic variation. This contrasts with the genus’s typical 3-lobed stigmas and 3-locular ovaries. While 4-locular ovaries occur in some Aspidistra species (e.g., A. hainanensis Chun et How ), this is the first record of 3–6-locular ovaries in Peliosanthes .

Additionally, P. qixingkengensis exhibits persistent cataphylls—membranous sheaths encasing petioles (up to 14 cm long). Among the 12 Peliosanthes species with dissected coronas, only P. choriandra shares similar cataphylls, but the two differ significantly in floral morphology. Other species in this group retain only scale-like remnants on stems.