Botanical Studies (2008) 49: 155-160.

*

Corresponding author: E-mail: alanchen@mail.nmns.edu.

tw; Fax: 886-4-23258684.

TAXONOMY

Swertia changii (Gentianaceae), a new species from

southern Taiwan

Chih-Hsiung CHEN

1,

*, Chien-Fan CHEN

2

, and Sheng-Zehn YANG

2

1

Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Guancian Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan

2

Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1 Shuehfu Road, Neipu, Pingtung 912,

Taiwan

(Received April 14, 2007; Accepted October 11, 2007)

ABSTRACT.

A new species from Taiwan, Swertia changii S. Z. Yang, C. F. Chen & C. H. Chen

(Gentianaceae), is described and illustrated. This species is so far known only from the southern part of the

Central Mountain Range at elevations of ca. 800-1,300 m. The new species is most similar to S. shintenensis

Hayata, which is endemic to northern Taiwan, but differs in having 4-merous flowers, axial corolla lobes

purple, green nectaries, and smaller protrusions of the epidermal cells on the seed coat.

Keywords: Gentianaceae; New species; Swertia; Swertia changii; Taiwan; Taxonomy.

INTRODUCTION

The genus Swertia L. (Gentianaceae), including 16

series and 11 sections, comprises about 150 species,

mainly distributed in temperate regions of the northern

hemisphere (Ho and Pringle, 1995). Eighty-six species

occur in the eastern Asiatic region, and the southwest

China-Himalayan area is the center of species diversity

of the genus, where about half of the world¡¦s species are

found (Ho et al., 1994). Swertia exhibits strong paraphyly

among related taxa as revealed by DNA sequence data

(Chassot et al., 2001; Struwe et al., 2001). In Taiwan,

earlier taxonomists have described five endemic species

(Hayata, 1908, 1911, 1916; Satake, 1941). Liu and Kuo

(1970, 1974) made the first revision of the Taiwanese

Swertia, and also published the same treatment in the

Flora of Taiwan (Liu and Kuo, 1978). Ho et al. (1988) and

Ho and Pringle¡¦s (1995) revision of the genus in China

and Taiwan was similar to the treatment of Liu and Kuo

(1970, 1974), but they reduced S. randaiensis Hayata

to synonymy under S. macrosperma (C.B. Clarke) C.B.

Clarke. More recently, Wang and Lu (1998a, b) reduced S.

matsudae Satake to synonymy under S. tozanensis Hayata,

and reported four species from Taiwan.

After the treatment of Gentianaceae was published in

the second edition of the Flora of Taiwan (Wang and Lu,

1998b), three new species were recorded (Chen and Wang,

2000; Chen et al., 2006; Hsieh et al., 2007). Recently,

we found an unknown species of Swertia during our

botanical explorations in southern Taiwan. After additional

field observations and comparisons with related taxa, we

concluded that it is a new species not yet described.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The plants were collected in the field and dried using

standard procedures for preparing herbarium specimens.

Seeds and pollen for scanning electron microscopy

(SEM) were collected from fresh capsules and flowers

of the holotype of Swertia changii (C.F. Chen 2081). For

comparison, SEM photographs were also taken of the

seeds of S. shintenensis Hayata (C.H. Chen 6216, collected

from Shih-tou-shan in Taipei Hsien, deposited in TNM).

Pollen grains were treated by the acetolysis method

(Erdtman, 1952) before being dried to a critical point.

Seeds and pollen grains were coated with gold, examined,

and photographed using a Hitachi S3000N SEM machine.

SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT

Swertia changii S. Z. Yang, C. F. Chen & C. H. Chen,

sp. nov.¡XTYPE: TAIWAN. Pingtung County: Chunjih

Township, Tahanshan elev. 1200-1,300 m, 20 Sep 2006,

C.F. Chen 2081 (holotype: PPI). ¤jº~¤s·íÃÄ

Figures 1, 2

Species haec S. shintenensi affinis, sed flore 4-mero,

corollae lobis purpureis ad medium nectario viridi

instructis, testa echinata cum protuberationibus minoribus

differt.

Herbs, robust biennial, 70-90 cm tall, leaves of first year

in rosettes; producing a single flowering stem in second

year, withering after seed dispersal in late winter. Root

thick, fleshy. Stem erect, simple, hollow, terete, ca. 5-7

mm in diam at base, mature stem with black dots. Basal

leaves persistent at anthesis, entire, glabrous, opposite,

oblanceolate to spathulate, blade attenuate to winged base,

apex acute, adaxial surface glossy, 20-30 cm long, 6-10

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mm long, shorter than lobes, glabrous in throat; lobes 4,

entire, 6-7 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, ovate-triangular, apex

acute; Corolla purple, 3-4 cm in diameter, tube 2-3 mm

long, lobes narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 20 mm long,

6-7 mm wide, apex acute; Nectary 1 per corolla lobe, at

middle of corolla lobe, a naked glandular patch, sunken,

green, square, apically cordate, basally sinuate. Stamens

4, alternate corolla lobes; filaments green, 9-10 mm

Figure 1. Swertia changii sp. nov. A, Habit; B, flower; C, calyx; D, pistil; E, stamens; F, fruit; G, seeds. Scale bars A = 5 cm; B, D, E,

F = 1 cm; C = 5 mm; G = 1 mm. From the holotype, C.F. Chen 2081 (PPI).

cm wide; veins pinnate, midrib distinct, elevated on lower

surface, veinlets enclosed at margin. Stem leaves entire,

opposite, sessile, cordate, base cordate, apex acuminate to

acute, gradually diminishing in size toward apex of stem,

variable in size, to 8 cm long, 5.5 cm wide. Inflorescences

verticillasters, axillary in lower node of stem; upper

inflorescences, 3-flowered cymes or flowers solitary.

Flowers 4-merous, pedicel 4-7 cm long. Calyx tube 1

CHEN

et al. ¡X

Swertia changii

(Gentianaceae) a new species from Taiwan

157

Figure 2. Swertia changii sp. nov. A, Habit; B, upper stem leaves; C, stem leaves; D, basal leaves; E, inflorescence; F, flower; G, fruit;

H, seeds. Scale bar H = 1 mm.

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long; anthers yellow, ca. 4 mm long, sagittate, versatile,

dehiscence longitudinal. Ovary laterally compressed, erect

after flowering, style indistinct, bifid. Capsules narrowly

ellipsoid to ovoid, 15-20 mm long, 7-9 mm wide. Seed

coat echinate.

Paratypes. PINGTUNG HSIEN: Chunjih Township,

Chinshuiying, elev. 1,200-1,300 m, C.F. Chen 2034 (PPI);

same loc., C.H. Chen 7963 (TNM); Kuzulunshan, S.Z.

Yang 24493 (PPI); Shihtzu Township, Chachayalaishan,

elev. 1,100-1,200 m, C.F. Chen 1166 (PPI); TAITUNG

HSIEN: Tajen Township, Xiewushan, K.P. Lo 846 (PPI);

Tajen Township, Tajen Experimental Forest, elev. 800-900

m, T.Y. Cheng 1 (PPI).

Notes. Swertia changii is a member of the section

Ophelia. It is most similar to S. shintenensis (Figure 3),

which is endemic to northern Taiwan, but differs in having

4-merous flowers, purple corolla lobes, green nectaries,

and smaller protrusions of epidermal cells on the seed coat

(Figures 2, 5A-D).

Of the Taiwanese species, Swertia changii and S .

shintenensis are biennial (monocarpic) while all the other

species are annuals (Wang and Lu, 1998). The flowers of

S. shintenensis are 5-merous, but a few may be 4-merous,

even on the same individual; 4-merous flowers usually

occur on smaller plants. According to our observations of

S. changii in the field, only 4-merous flowers are produced.

Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan, southern part of

the Central Mountain Range (Figure 4), on steep slopes

in an undisturbed evergreen forests with slight gaps, in

elevations of 800-1,300 m. Flowers Aug.-Oct.; fruits Oct.-

Nov.

Palynology. Pollen grains (Figure 5E-H) tricolporate,

isopolar, spheroical to prolate spheroical in equatorial

view, 26-31 ¡Ñ 25-31 £gm (P ¡Ñ E); semiangular in polar

view, with long colpi, ends acuminate, exine regulate,

with 1-2 £gm striae. The pollen morphology of S. changii

by SEM appears similar to light microscopic photos of

the pollen of S. shintenensis taken by Nilsson (1967), who

described the exine as bearing spinules.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr.

Cheng-En Chang (1920~2005), of the Department of

Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and

Figu re 4. Latitudinal and elevational distribution of Swertia

changii (circle) and similar species S. shintenensis (triangle) in

Taiwan.

Figure 3. Swertia shinintenensis

H a y a t a . A , H a b i t ; B ,

inflorescence; C, flower.

CHEN

et al. ¡X

Swertia changii

(Gentianaceae) a new species from Taiwan

159

Figure 5. SEM photographs of seeds and pollen grains of Swertia changii (A, B, E-H), and seeds of S. shintenensis (C, D). A, C, Seed

morphology; B, D, seed surface; E-H, pollen grains; E, polar view; F, aperture; G, equatorial view; H, exine. Scale bars A, C = 200 £gm;

B, D = 20 £gm; E, F, G = 10 £gm; F = 2 £gm.

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Botanical Studies, Vol. 49, 2008

Technology, who devoted over 50 years to the study of the

Elaeocarpaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Lauraceae, Malvaceae,

Meliaceae, Myrtaceae, Olacaceae, and Rutaceae in Taiwan

and the flora of Lanyu (Orchid) Island.

Acknowledgments. We would like to express our

gratitude to Dr. David E. Boufford for his critical

comments on the manuscript. This work was supported

by NSC94-2311-B-178-002 from the National Science

Council, ROC.

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