Reinstatement of the Chinese endemic species Styrax zhejiangensis.

Yu-Qing Ruan,Xue-Hui Wu,Guo-Xing Deng,Yu-Long Yu,Ming Tang,Yu-Lin Liu,Fen Yu

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.133.37942

Abstract

Styrax zhejiangensis has been treated as a synonym of S. macrocarpus. Examination of herbarium specimens and observation of wild living plants demonstrates that S. zhejiangensis is a distinct species and is clearly distinguishable from S. macrocarpus through its flowering phenology in which leaves and flowers open simultaneously, its smaller corolla lobes and filaments, and its white-stellate-pubescent seeds. On this basis, we reinstate S. zhejiangensis as an accepted species. Photographic images and a distribution map of the two species are provided. A lectotype of S. zhejiangensis is also designated.

Highlights

After critical examinations of the relevant Styrax specimens in major Chinese herbaria, combined with our field observations in the type localities of each entity, we find that S. zhejiangensis is a species distinct from S. macrocarpus, differing from it in a combination of taxonomically significant morphological characters
Styrax zhejiangensis differs from S. macrocarpus in a combination of morphological characters (Table 1, Figs 3–5)
Li and Ding (1989) and Hwang and Grimes (1996) described the flowering phenology for Styrax zhejiangensis and S. macrocarpus and they have been confirmed in our field observation, and undoubtedly serve as a diagnostic character

Summary

Introduction

The authors stated that this species was similar to S. macrocarpus Cheng (Cheng 1938) (Fig. 1B), but differed by its bush-like habit, broadly elliptic to ovate-oblong leaves, smaller fruits, and sparsely white-stellate seeds. After critical examinations of the relevant Styrax specimens in major Chinese herbaria, combined with our field observations in the type localities of each entity, we find that S. zhejiangensis is a species distinct from S. macrocarpus, differing from it in a combination of taxonomically significant morphological characters.

Results

Conclusion