Petrocosmea chrysotricha sp. nov. (Petrocosmea, Gesneriaceae), a species previously mistaken for P. begoniifolia on marlstone cliffs in Yunnan, China

Abstract

Petrocosmea chrysotricha M.Q.Han, H. Jiang & Yan Liu, a new species from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. Petrocosmea chrysotricha was found growing with P. melanophthalma on damp marlstone cliffs in evergreen broad‐leaved forest on Mopan Shan. The new species has been grown for decades by Gesneriad enthusiasts under the name P. begoniifolia for decades and it is indeed similar to P. begoniifolia in its oblique campanulate corolla tube, but differs by having filaments covered with golden lanate indumentum in the middle part and by having primrose yellow flowers at the beginning if anthesis, then turning white.

Four new species of Gesneriaceae from Yunnan, Southwest China

“…Petrocosmea has more than 50 known species distributed in China, Vietnam, Thailand and India (Han et al 2018b); Didymocarpus has approximately 70 species range from northwest India, eastwards through Nepal, Bhutan, northeast India, Myanmar, to southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and northwards to Sumatra (Weber and Burtt 1998; Weber et al 2000; Möller et al 2016a; Hong et al 2018); Henckelia has 64 known species found in Sri Lanka, southern and north-eastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, northern Laos, northern Vietnam and northern Thailand (Weber et al 2011; Sirimongkol et al 2019). After thorough comparisons of diagnostic morphological, anatomical features and herbarium specimens available at BM, E, HITBC, K, KUN, NYBG and P with similar taxa of Petrocosmea , Didymocarpus , and Henckelia , and consulting the relevant literature for Petrocosmea (Wang 1985; Wang et al 1990, 1998; Burtt 1998a; Li and Wang 2004; Wei and Wen 2009; Gou et al 2010; Middleton and Triboun 2010; Zhao and Shui 2010; Shaw 2011; Xu et al 2011; Qiu and Liu 2015; Qiu et al 2011, 2012, 2015a, 2015b; Wang et al 2013; Zhang et al 2013; Han et al 2017, 2018a, 2018b), Didymocarpus (Wang et al 1998; Burtt 1998b, 1999, 2001; Weber et al 2000; Hilliard 2001; Li and Wang 2004; Nangngam and Maxwell 2013; Wen et al 2013; Li and Li 2014; Nangngam and Middleton 2014; Phuong et al 2014; Li and Wang 2015; Cai et al 2016; Joe et al 2016; Hong et al 2018), and Henckelia (Wang et al 1998; Weber and Burtt 1998; Burtt 2001; Weber et al 2011; Middleton et al 2010; Ranasinghe et al 2016; Sirimongkol et al 2019) from China and adjacent regions, it was confirmed that the four specie...…”

Petrocosmea weiyigangii (Gesneriaceae), a new species from a limestone cave in southern China

“…The genus currently comprises 47 species in South, East and Southeast Asia (Möller et al, 2016;Qiu et al, 2015a;Wei at al., 2010;Wang et al, 1990Wang et al, , 1998. Almost all Petrocosmea species are found in damp habitats in limestone areas, except P. melanophthalma Huan C.Wang et al (Wang et al, 2013), P. begoniifolia C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li (Li, 1983, Qiu et al, 2015a, P. chrysotricha M.Q.Han et al (Han et al, 2018) and P. sinensis Oliv. (Oliver, 1887;Wei et al, 2010;Qiu et al, 2015a), which grow on damp surfaces and in crevices of marble and sandstone rocks and cliffs.…”

Petrocosmea adenophora (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China

“…In April 2017, during a botanical expedition in SE Yunnan Province, near Vietnam's border, we collected some specimens and living plants bearing buds of an unknown species of Petrocosmea . Later, when they flowered in our greenhouse, we compared the plants with all recognized species of the genus in the relevant literature (Wang 1984, 1985, Wang and Pan 1998, Burtt 1998, Wang et al 1998, Li and Wang 2005, Wei and Wen 2009, Gou et al 2010, Middleton and Triboun 2010, Wei et al 2010, Zhao and Shui 2010, Qiu et al 2011, 2012, 2015, Shaw 2011, 2019, Xu et al 2011, Wang et al 2011, Zhang et al 2013, Qiu and Liu 2015, Han et al 2017, 2018a, 2018b, Li et al 2019, Wen 2019, Yang et al 2019) and against specimens of this genus in major herbaria: E, HITBC, IBK, IBSC, K, KUN, MO, NY, PE, US. We found that our newly collected specimen can be distinguished from most other species of Petrocosmea .…”