Abstract
Aster tianmenshanensis G. J. Zhang & T. G. Gao, a new species of Asteraceae from southern China is described and illustrated based on evidence from morphology, micromorphology and molecular phylogeny. The new species is superficially similar to Aster salwinensis Onno in having rosettes of spatulate leaves and a solitary, terminal capitulum, but it differs by its glabrous leaf margins, unequal disc floret lobes and 1-seriate pappus. The molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on nuclear sequences ITS, ETS and chloroplast sequence trnL-F, showed that the new species was nested within the genus Aster and formed a well supported clade with Aster verticillatus (Reinw.) Brouillet et al. The new species differs from the latter in having unbranched stems, much larger capitula, unequal disc floret lobes, beakless achenes and persistent pappus. In particular, A. tianmenshanensis has very short stigmatic lines, only ca. 0.18 mm long and less than 1/3 of the length of sterile style tip appendages, remarkably different from its congeners. This type of stigmatic line, as far as we know, has not been found in any other species of Aster. The very short stigmatic lines plus the unequal disc floret lobes imply that the new species may have a very specialized pollination system, which may be a consequence of habitat specialization. The new species grows only on the limestone cliffs of Mt. Tianmen, Hunan Province, at the elevation of 1400 m. It could only be accessed when a plank walkway was built across the cliffs for tourists. As it is known only from an area estimated at less than 10 km2 and a walkway passes through this location, its habitat could be easily disturbed. This species should best be treated as Critically Endangered based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Categories and Criteria B2a.
Highlights
Aster, the type genus of Asteraceae, contains approximately 152 species widely distributed in Eurasia [1]
The North American Aster species, except for Aster alpinus L., have been split into more than 10 independent genera [4, 6,7] based mainly on morphology and cytology. This is supported by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS data [8]
Recent molecular phylogenetic analysis [9, 11,12] showed that many of these segregate genera were nested within Aster and should be included in the genus
Summary
The type genus of Asteraceae, contains approximately 152 species widely distributed in Eurasia [1]. The North American Aster species, except for Aster alpinus L., have been split into more than 10 independent genera [4, 6,7] based mainly on morphology and cytology This is supported by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS data [8]. The Aster species from Africa, which were tentatively treated as an uncertain group by Nesom [4], were shown to be a quite different group based on molecular evidence [9]. They were transferred to a new genus Afroaster [10]. The species is superficially very similar to Aster salwinensis, but after careful observations of evidence from morphology, micromorphology and molecular phylogeny, we conclude it as a new species that is distinct from A. salwinensis
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