Abstract
The newly-circumscribed genus Oreocharis is recently enlarged by incorporating ten other genera with high floral diversity. In this study, our morphological, molecular and cytological evidence supports our adding two species from other two different genera (Boeica and Beccarinda) to Oreocharis. The special corolla shape (campanulate or flat-faced) and related short filament of these two new combinations, Oreocharis guileana and O. baolianis, further enrich the diversity of floral characters of the enlarged Oreocharis. Meanwhile, some supplementary and amended descriptions of these two species are made here. Our morphological, molecular and geographical data indicate that O. guileana is related to O. pilosopetiolata to a certain extent. For O. baolianis, however, our current dataset does not allow conclusions on the species relationship within Oreocharis.
Highlights
Recent phylogenetic studies on the Old World Gesneriaceae have greatly advanced our understanding of species relationships and generic delimitations in this plant group (Wang et al 2010; Möller et al 2011a)
To revise and amend the morphological descriptions and clarify the morphological affinities between these two species and its congeners, detailed morphological studies were made on living plants in the field (Shenzhen and Fujian, China) and on plants cultivated in greenhouses (South China Botanical Garden, SCBG and Gesneriad Conservation Center of China, GCCC)
Bec. baolianis showed a special combination of characters in the enlarged Oreocharis, such as small plant size, campanulate corolla and short filaments
Summary
Recent phylogenetic studies on the Old World Gesneriaceae have greatly advanced our understanding of species relationships and generic delimitations in this plant group (Wang et al 2010; Möller et al 2011a). Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that species of the original Oreocharis are phylogenetically intertwined with species of ten other small or monotypic genera (Möller et al 2011b) After considering both the phylogenetic conclusion and the morphological evaluation, Möller et al (2011b, 2014) formally transferred all species of nine genera (i.e. Ancylostemon Craib, Bournea Oliver, Dayaoshania Wang, Deinocheilos Wang, Isometrum Craib, Opithandra Burtt, Paraisometrum W.T. Wang, Thamnocharis Wang and Tremacron Craib) and rosette species of Briggsia Craib (except B. longipes and B. mihieri) to Oreocharis. Thamnocharis Wang and Tremacron Craib) and rosette species of Briggsia Craib (except B. longipes and B. mihieri) to Oreocharis This expansion made the Oreocharis a large genus within subfamily Didymocarpoideae (tribe Trichosporeae, subtribe Didymocarpinae) of the Gesneriaceae (Weber et al 2013), and made it one of the florally-diverse groups.
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