Thalictrum virgatum var. obtusifolium (Ranunculaceae), a new synonym of T. virgatum, with the new record of the morphologically similar Himalayan species T. secundum for China

Abstract

Thalictrum virgatum var. obtusifolium (Ranunculaceae), described from northwestern Yunnan, China, has been totally overlooked since its description. Based on observations of herbarium specimens (including type material) and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that it is not essentially different from the type variety, T. virgatum var. virgatum. We therefore reduce T. virgatum var. obtusifolium to the synonymy of T. virgatum. In addition, T. secundum, a species somewhat similar to T. virgatum in habit but actually closely related to T. squamiferum and previously recorded to be distributed only in Afghanistan, northern India, Nepal, and northern Pakistan, is here reported as a newly recorded species for China; it occurs in Gyirong county in southern Xizang (Tibet).