NOVON 7(4): 443-444. 1997.
YÜ Yong-Fu and FU Li-Kuo
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, People’s Republic of China
ABSTRACT. Two new species, Juniperus chengii L. K. Fu & Y. F. Yü and J. baimashanensis Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, and three new varieties, J. pingii Cheng ex Ferre var. carinata Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, J. squamata Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don var. parvifolia Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, and J. squamata var. hongxiensis Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, are described. Two new combinations in Juniperus and one in Ephedra are proposed.
As a result of our work on the gymnosperms for the Flora of China, the following novelties are proposed to make the names available for the forthcoming account of that flora.
Juniperus chengii L. K. Fu & Y. F. Yü, sp. nov. TYPE: China. NW Yunnan: Zhongdian, 3150 m, 15 Nov. 1937, T. T. Yü 10960 (holotype, PE; isotype, A).
Arbor ca. 3--9 m alta, ramulis foliatis gracilibus, 1.1--2 mm crassis, quadrangulatis vel sexangulatis; folia decussata vel verticillata, arcte adpressa, ovata, valde arcuata, 1--2 mm longa, 0.5--1.2 mm lata, dorse obtusiuscule porcatis, lucidis; strobili maturi purpureo-nigri, oblongi vel globosi, 0.9--1.1 cm longi, ca. 9 mm lati.
Trees 3--9 m tall. Leafy branchlets thin, 4- or 6-angled, 1.1--2 mm diam., usually arched. Leaves decussate or in whorls of 3, closely appressed, ovate, 1--2 ´ 0.5--1.2 mm, strongly arched, adaxially concave, abaxially bluntly ridged, lustrous, base decurrent, apex obtuse or pointed. Seed cones purplish black at maturity, oblong to globose, 0.9--1.1 cm, ca. 9 mm diam., 1-seeded. Seeds triangular-ovoid, ca. 9 mm, ca. 7 mm diam., ridged.
Juniperus chengii, which is named in honor of Cheng Wan-Chun (1904--1983) for his outstanding contribution to the taxonomy of gymnosperms, is distinguished from the remaining Chinese species of Juniperus by its smaller (1--2 mm) leaves that are decussate or in whorls of 3, and its 4- or 6-angled branchlets.
Juniperus baimashanensis Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, sp. nov. TYPE: China. NW Yunnan: Deqin, 3400 m, 9 Aug. 1937, T. T. Yü 9462 (holotype, PE).
Species affinis J. pingii Cheng ex Ferre, sed foliis dorse obtusiuscule porcatis, sulcatis secus porcas, ramulis foliatis longioribus, rectioribus, laxioribus, fere parallelis differt.
Shrubs ca. 60 cm tall. Branches glaucous; leafy branchlets ascending, thin, long, usually straight, loosely arranged and almost parallel. Leaves in whorls of 3, ascending, acicular, 4--6 ´ ca. 1 mm, straight or slightly incurved, adaxially concave, with a white stomatal band and without a green midvein, abaxially bluntly ridged, with thin grooves along ridges, base decurrent, apex acuminate, sharp pointed. Seed cones brownish black at maturity, globose, ca. 6 mm, ca. 6 mm diam., 1-seeded. Seeds triangular-ovoid, ca. 5 mm, ca. 5 mm diam.
Juniperus baimashanensis differs from J. pingii by its bluntly ridged leaves with grooves along the ridges, and its longer, straight, loosely arranged and almost parallel branchlets. Juniperus pingii has conspicuously ridged leaves without grooves along the ridges and shorter, curved, densely and irregularly arranged branchlets.
Juniperus pingii Cheng ex Ferre var. carinata Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, var. nov. TYPE: China. W Sichuan: Yajiang, 4460 m, 26 Apr. 1960, T. S. Ying 3140 (holotype, PE).
A var. pingii recedit fruticibus, raro arboribus parvis, ramulis foliatis validis, non pendulis. J. pingii var. wilsonii (Rehder) Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu similis, sed foliis longioribus, rectis vel leviter incurvis, ramulis foliatis vulgo non sexangulatis differt.
Variety carinata differs from variety pingii in being shrubs or rarely small trees and in having stout, ascending or spreading branchlets, whereas plants of variety pingii are trees with slender pendulous branchlets. It is distinguished from variety wilsonii by its longer, straight or slightly incurved and ascending leaves; in variety wilsonii the leaves are shorter, strongly incurved, and appressed.
Paratypes. CHINA. W Sichuan: Kangding, 4000 m, 29 July 1963, K. C. Kuan et al. 1070 (PE), 3200 m, 13 Sep. 1953, H. L. Tsiang 36824 (PE), 2700 m, 1 Oct. 1928, W. P. Fang 3695 (PE). NW Yunnan: Deqin, 2700 m, Sep. 1935, C. W. Wang 70157 (PE); Zhongdian, 3800 m, 14 Oct. 1955, K. M. Feng 21054 (PE).
Juniperus squamata Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don var. parvifolia Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, var. nov. TYPE: China. SW Sichuan: Puxiong, 3600--3700 m, 17 May 1959, C. T. Kuan 9613 (holotype, PE).
A var. squamata foliis parvioribus, 2.5--3.5 mm longis, valde arcuatis differt.
The new variety differs from variety squamata by its strongly curved, smaller leaves 2.5--3.5 mm long. In variety squamata the leaves are longer (5--7 mm) and straight or slightly curved.
Paratype. CHINA. SW Sichuan: Yuexi, 3200 m, 13 July 1959, Sichuan Econ. Pl.
Exp. 3944 (PE).
Juniperus squamata Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don var. hongxiensis Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, var. nov. TYPE: China. SW Sichuan: Hongxi, 3640 m, 5 Aug. 1959, Sichuan Econ. Pl. Exp. 1624 (holotype, PE).
A var. squamata recedit ramulorum internodiis conspicue expositis, foliis laxioribus, parvioribus, 3.5--4.5 mm longis, arcuatis.
Juniperus squamata var. hongxiensis is easily distinguished from variety squamata by its conspicuously exposed internodes and smaller, curved, loosely arranged leaves. Variety squamata has covered internodes and larger, straight or slightly curved, densely arranged leaves.
Juniperus sabina L. var. yulinensis (T. C. Chang & C. G. Chen) Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, comb. nov. Basionym: Sabina vulgaris Antoine var. yulinensis T. C. Chang & C. G. Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 19: 263. 1981. TYPE: China. N Shaanxi: Shenmu, 1100 m, T. C. Chang & C. G. Chen 77701 (holotype, WUG).
Variety yulinensis, which is restricted to N Shaanxi (Shenmu, Yulin), differs from variety sabina in having seed cones borne on straight branchlets. In the widespread variety sabina, the seed cones are borne on curved branchlets.
Juniperus sabina L. var. erectopatens (Cheng & L. K. Fu) Y. F. Yü & L. K. Fu, comb. nov. Basionym: Sabina vulgaris Antoine var. erectopatens Cheng & L. K. Fu, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 13: 86. 1975. TYPE: China. N Sichuan: Songpan, 2700 m, T. T. Yü 2702 (holotype, PE).
Plants of variety erectopatens differ from those of variety sabina by being trees with branchlets bearing seed cones straight and shorter and by having (1- or)2-seeded seed cones. It differs from variety jarkendensis in having densely arranged, thinner branchlets ca. 0.8 mm in diameter and light brownish green seed cones that are (1- or)2-seeded when mature.
Ephedra likiangensis Florin var. mairei (Florin) L. K. Fu & Y. F. Yü, comb. et stat. nov. Basionym: Ephedra saxatilis Royle ex Florin var. mairei Florin, Kongl. Svenska. Vetenskapsakad. Handl. ser. 3, 12(1): 33. 1933. TYPE: China. Yunnan: Lijiang. J. F. Rock 10824 (holotype, W; isotype, A).
Ephedra likiangensis var. mairei differs from variety likiangensis by being small herbaceous shrubs 15--25 cm tall and without conspicuous main stems above ground, and by having woody stems procumbent or buried in soil.
Although Florin (1933) described variety mairei as a variety of Ephedra saxatilis, the plant is more similar to E. likiangensis, especially in having seed cones with short peduncles, seeds enclosed by an uppermost pair of bracts at maturity, and pollen cones with fewer bracts. Cheng (1978) treated variety mairei as a form of E. likiangensis, but the differences between the two taxa are sufficient to treat the former at the varietal rank.
Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Ihsan Al-Shehbaz and Yang Qin-er for help with the manuscript.
Literature Cited
Cheng, C. Y. 1978. Ephedraceae. In: W. C. Cheng & L. K. Fu (editors), Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 7: 468--489.
Florin, R. 1933. Über einige neue oder wenig bekannte asiatische Ephedra-Arten der Sect. Pseudobaccatae Stapf. Kongl. Svenska. Vetenskapsakad. Handl. ser. 3, 12(1): 1--44.