Camellia hainingii, a new species of Theaceae in China

Abstract

Camellia hainingii S.X.Yang et Y.S. Huang, a new species from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. pachyandra Hu but can be easily distinguished from the latter by its glabrous leaf blade (vs. pubescent along the midvein abaxially), glabrous (vs. pubescent) petiole, bracteoles and sepals 9–11 (vs. 6) with dense pubescent (vs. glabrous) on the inner face, stamens 80–110 (vs. 40–50), slender (vs. thickening) inner filaments, glabrous (vs. dense tomentum) ovary and furfuraceous (vs. smooth) pericarp. The conservation status of this new species was assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).