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Primulina nana C.Xiong, W.C.Chou & F. Wen, a new species of Gesneriaceae from limestone areas of Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated here. It morphologically resembles P. yangshuoensis Y.G. Wei & F. Wen in papillose leaf surface, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by noting a combination of characteristics, especially in its leaf blades, leaf blade indumentum characteristic, calyx lobes, corolla and the disc. We found only one population at the type locality, about 200 mature individuals. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (Version 3.1), the new species is provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered (CR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primulina papillosa Z.B. Xin, W.C. Chou & F. Wen, a new species from limestone areas of Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated here. It morphologically resembles P. linearifolia (W.T. Wang) Yin Z. Wang and P. pseudolinearifolia W.B. Xu & K.F. Chung, but can be easily distinguished by some combined characters, especially its leaf blades densely papillose-hispid. We found only one population at the type locality with no more than 200 individuals, so that this new species is provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) using IUCN Criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elatostema qinzhouense L.F. Fu, A.K. Monro & Y.G. Wei, a new species from Guangxi, China is described and illustrated. Morphologically, E. qinzhouense is most similar to E. hezhouense from which it differs by having smaller size of leaf laminae, fewer and smaller staminate peduncle bracts, longer pistillate peduncle bracts and a larger achene. This result is supported by the molecular evidence. The phylogenetic position of the new species within Elatostema is evaluated using three DNA regions, ITS, trnH-psbA and psbM-trnD, for 107 taxa of Elatostema s.l. (including E. qinzhouense). Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses each recovered the same strongly supported tree topologies, indicating that E. qinzhouense is a member of the core Elatostema clade and sister to E. hezhouense. Along with the phylogenetic studies, plastid genome and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences of the new species are assembled and annotated. The plastid genome is 150,398 bp in length and comprises two inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,688 bp separated by a large single-copy of 83,919 bp and a small single-copy of 17,103 bp. A total of 113 functional genes are recovered, comprising 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The rDNA is 5,804 bp in length and comprised the 18S ribosomal RNA partial sequence (1,809 bp), internal transcribed spacer 1 (213 bp), 5.8S ribosomal RNA (164 bp), internal transcribed spacer 2 (248 bp) and 26S ribosomal RNA partial sequence (3,370 bp). In addition, the chromosome number of E. qinzhouense is observed to be 2nD26, suggesting that the species is diploid. Given a consistent relationship between ploidy level and reproductive system in Elatostema, the new species is also considered to be sexually reproducing. Our assessment of the extinction threat for E. qinzhouense is that it is Endangered (EN) according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Deinostigma (Gesneriaceae) from Yunnan, China, Deinostigma fasciculatum W.H.Chen & Y.M.Shui, sp. nov., has been discovered and described. In the genus, the new species is similar to D. cicatricosum (W.T. Wang) D.J. Middleton & Mich. Möller and D. cyrtocarpum (D. Fang & L. Zeng) Mich. Möller & H.J. Atkins in dark purple flowers and falcate fruit, but differs from them mainly in the inflorescences with fasciculate flowers, calyx lobes (reflexed, narrowly lanceolate and 1.2-1.3 cm long), corolla tubes (sharply contracted below middle and white outside and below throat). The above three species grow nearby non-limestone wet cliffs and geographically isolated with different distributions (the new species in Southeast Yunnan, D. cicatricosum in Eastern Guangxi and D. cyrtocarpum in Southern Guangxi and Guangdong, China). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primulina hochiensis var. ochroleuca, a new variety from a limestone hill of karst areas, Guangxi, China is described with color photographs. It resembles P. hochiensis var. hochiensis, P. hochiensis var. ovata and P. hochiensis var. rosulata, but can be easily distinguished by a combination of characteristics, especially by its corolla color. We found only one population with approx. 3000 mature individuals at the type locality. This variety is provisionally assessed as vulnerable [VU C1] using IUCN criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Oreocharis tetrapterus F.Wen, B.Pan & T.V.Do (Gesneriaceae) from Gupo Mountain area, Hezhou city, Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, China, is described and illustrated. The new species has a zygomorphic tetramerous corolla with two adaxial and two abaxial lobes and two fertile stamens in the posterior position, making this a unique combination of floral characteristics in the expanded Oreocharis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new species of Primulina (Gesneriaceae) are described and illustrated here, namely P. purpureokylin F. Wen, Yi Huang & W. Chuen Chou, P. persica F. Wen, Yi Huang & W. Chuen Chou, P. cerina F. Wen, Yi Huang & W. Chuen Chou, P. niveolanosa F. Wen, S. Li & W. Chuen Chou and P. leiyyi F. Wen, Z.B. Xin & W. Chuen Chou. The characteristic traits of these species, together with photographs, detailed descriptions, notes on etymology, distribution, and habitat, as well as comparisons with morphologically similar species, are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the 280 species of Elatostema documented in China, 189 are known only from a single collection. Elatostema setulosum is one such species, having been known only from the type collection for nearly half a century, until recent field investigations in Guangxi. Due to its morphological similarity to E. huanjiangense and E. tetracephalum, we undertook a critical review of all three species using morphological and molecular evidence. Our results suggest that all three names refer to the same species, which based on priority should be known as Elatostema setulosum. We recognize E. huanjiangense and E. tetracephalum as synonyms. A distribution map of E. setulosum and the extinction risk according to the IUCN criteria is provided. After recircumscription, the taxon must be considered as Least Concern (LC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the high value of the inflorescence and achene for taxon delimitation in Elatostema. Over half of the descriptions of the ca 280 species described from China, however, lack information on inflorescence and/or achene morphology and this hampers the progress of species discovery and infrageneric classification. In this paper we supplement the descriptions, illustrations and photos of infructescence and achene of Elatostema binatum and staminate inflorescence of E. fengshanense in order to support future taxonomic revisions of this species-rich genus. In addition, we assessed the extinction threat of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limestone karst area of South China is a major biodiversity hotspot of global terrestrial biomes. During extensive field work on the Guangxi limestone formations, two unknown species of Gesneriaceae were collected. After conducting a comprehensive study of the literature and herbarium specimens, Primulina davidioides and P. hiemalis are recognized as two species new to science, and described and illustrated here. P. davidioides is morphologically close to P. lunglinensis based on the shape of the leaf and flower, but it can be easily distinguished by the shape of the bracts, corolla and stigma, indumentum of peduncles, pedicels and pistil and number of staminodes. P. hiemalis is closely relate to P. luzhaiensis in vegetative appearance, but differs in the shape of the calyx and stigma, number of bracts and staminodes, indumentum of the leaf blade and peduncle, and position of stamens in the corolla tube. Considering that not enough is known about their populations, it is proposed that their conservation statuses should currently be classed as data deficient (DD) according to the IUCN Red List Category and Criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primulina purpurea F. Wen, B. Zhao & Y.G Wei, a new species from East Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species resembles P. medica (D. Fang) Y. Z. Wang, but differs from the latter by having broadly ovate to elliptic, left-right slightly asymmetry leaf blade, brightly purple to fuchsia corolla, broadly lanceolate to narrowly ovate bracts with villous hairs outside and pubescent hairs inner, pistil 23.5-26.8 mm long, staminodes 3, capsule 4.5-5.0 cm long. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primulina fengshanensis Fang Wen & Yue Wang, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, is described and illustrated. The new species is compared with the similar P. linearifolia and P. longgangensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chirita tiandengensis Fang Wen & Hui Tang, a new species of Chirita from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to C. napoensis Z. Y. Li, C. lunglinensis W. T. Wang and C. obtusidentata W. T. Wang, but differs by leaf blades ovate-lanceolate, both surfaces sparsely strigulose; cymes 5- or 8-flowered, bracts narrowly lanceolate, 6-8×1.5-2.0 mm; larger flowers (3.8-4.6 cm long), pink corolla, infundibuliform-tubular tube; backside of anthers puberulous, filaments straight; staminodes glabrous, fused on the capitate top; stigma bipartite to the base with narrowly lanceolate lobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrocodon multiflorus F. Wen & Y. S. Jiang sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated. It is most similar to P. dealbatus Hance, but can be distinguished by its leaf lamina texture, shape of leaf margins, and by the number of cymes borne by an individual plant and the number of flowers in each cyme. A key to the species of Petrocodon is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]