Ranunculus maoxianensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from northwestern Sichuan, China, with an emended description of R. chongzhouensis, the putative closest ally of the new species

By

Fei, Wen-qun
Yuan, Qiong
Yang, Qinger

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

219

Pages

77--96

Subjects

Asia , buttercups , chromosome number , Ranunculus sect. Ranunculus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.219.96510

 

Abstract

Ranunculus maoxianensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Jiuding Shan in Maoxian county, northwestern Sichuan province, China, is here illustrated and described. The species is morphologically similar to R. chongzhouensis, a species also occurring in Sichuan, in having reniform leaves and puberulous receptacles, carpels and achenes, but differs by having leaves adaxially puberulous with shorter appressed hairs 0.16‒0.28 mm long (vs. longer appressed hairs 0.55‒0.85 mm long), larger flowers (1.8‒2 cm vs. 1.4‒1.6 cm in diameter), larger (8‒10 × 5.5‒6.5 mm vs. 6‒7 × 4.5‒5 mm) and widely obovate petals (vs. obovate), more numerous stamens (35‒55 vs. 12‒18), and subglobose gynoecium and aggregate fruit (vs. ellipsoid). The two species are also different in chromosome number and chromosome morphology. Ranunculus chongzhouensis has a karyotype of 2n = 2x = 16 = 10m + 6sm while R. maoxianensis has a karyotype of 2n = 4x = 32 = 16m + 16sm. An emended description of R. chongzhouensis is provided, and its geographical distribution is largely extended.