A new synonym of Stemona sessilifolia (Stemonaceae)

Abstract

Based on herbarium and field observations and transplant experiment,Stemona sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq. was found to be a highly variable species in morphological characters such as habit,leaf shape,and the relative size of inner two perianth segments and the outer two perianth segments. In particular,the habit depends on whether the plant is growing in an open habitat,when it remains erect,or under forests when it is at first erect but then adopts a scandent habit. Thus it is clear that S. sessilifolia is a variable species and that S. shandongensis D. K. Zang must be treated as conspecific with it.