Abstract
The limestone areas in south China are a major biodiversity hotspot for terrestrial biomes. Hemiboea, with 34 species and 5 varieties, mainly distributed in south China, is one of the characteristic plant groups in limestone areas. Hemiboea suiyangensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from limestone areas in Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is easily distinguished from other Hemiboea species by having an oblique-infundibular corolla with an abaxially gibbous swelling on the upper half of the tube and with a densely villose throat and lower lobes. Hemiboea suiyangensis is similar to H. omeiensis W. T. Wang in the shape of the leaf blade, but differs from the latter by the shape of the petiole, involucre, calyx and corolla and the colour of the corolla. The conservation status of this species is considered to be “Critically Endangered” (CR) according to IUCN Red List Criteria.
Highlights
All available specimens of Hemiboea stored in the herbaria (IBK, KUN and PE) in China were examined
Morphological observations and measurements of the new species were carried out based on living plants, dry specimens and preserved materials
All morphological characters were studied with dissecting microscopes and are described using the terminology presented by Wang et al (1998)
Summary
Hemiboea suiyangensis is distinguished from other Hemiboea species by having an oblique-infundibular corolla with abaxial gibbous, swollen on the upper half of the tube, throat and lower lobes densely villose. The species is similar to H. omeiensis W.T.Wang (1982: 127) in the shape of the leaf blade, but can be distinguished by oblate involucre (vs globose), unequal calyx segments (vs equal) and corolla with densely villose throat and lower lobes, lemon-yellow outside (vs corolla with glabrous throat and lower lobes, white outside) (Fig. 3, Table 1). H. suiyangensis 1–8.5 cm long, almost terete, adaxial side valleculate, margins erect and rounded oblate, 2.3–3.3 cm in diam.
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