Botanical Studies (2009) 50: 251-259

*

Corresponding author: E-mail: qeyang@scib.ac.cn; Tel:

86-20-37094273.

INTRODUCTION

When examining the specimens of Aconitum L .

subgenus Lycoctonum (DC.) Peterm. (Ranunculaceae)

for the first author¡¦s Ph.D. project on the systematics and

evolution of this subgenus, a gathering, Shennongjia Plant

Expedition 22332 (PE), made from the Shennongjia Nature

Reserve, northwestern Hubei, China, caught our attention.

The two sheets of the gathering, both in fruit, had been

previously identified as A. kirinense Nakai var. australe

W. T. Wang. Upon closer examination, we found that

the plant was strikingly different from the three varieties

under A. kirinense, var. kirinense, var. australe, and var.

heterophyllum W. T. Wang, by the inflorescence axis and

the pedicels all densely golden villous with patent hairs.

In the three varieties of A. kirinense, the inflorescence

axis and pedicels are white strigose with curved hairs. In

July 2006, we made a field trip to the Shennongjia Nature

Reserve and successfully found a flowering population

of the plant under question. The population was found

to be similar to A. kirinense in having yellow flowers

and cylindrical helmets, but differs by the inflorescence

axis and pedicels densely golden villous with rough-

surfaced patent hairs, the helmet higher and narrower,

the spur of petals longer and obviously recurved or

Aconitum shennongjiaense (Ranunculaceae), a new

species from Hubei, China

Qi GAO

1

and Qin-Er YANG

2,

*

1

State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

100093, China

2

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China

(Received April 30, 2008; Accepted November 7, 2008)

ABSTRACT.

Aconitum shennongjiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang, a new species of the Ranunculaceae from

Shennongjia, northwestern Hubei, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to A.

kirinense Nakai in having yellow flowers and cylindrical helmets, but differs by the inflorescence axis and

the pedicels densely golden villous with rough-surfaced patent hairs, the helmet higher and narrower, the spur

of petals longer and obviously recurved or circinate, the ovary densely golden villous with rough-surfaced

ascending hairs, and the seeds brown, obovoid, transversely lamellate, not alate. The chromosome number

of the new species was counted to be 2n = 16, and the karyotype was formulated as 2n = 2 m + 6 sm + 8 st.

A color plate, line drawings, distribution map, and SEM microphotographs of the pubescence of pedicels, of

lateral sepals and of ovaries are given for the new species.

Keywords: Aconitum barbatum; Aconitum kirinense; Aconitum shennongjiaense; Aconitum wangyedianense;

Chromosome number; Karyotype; New species; Taxonomy.

circinate, the ovary densely golden villous with rough-

surfaced ascending hairs, and the seeds brown, obovoid,

transversely lamellate, not alate, and thus represents a

hitherto undescribed species.

NEW SPECIES

Aconitum shennongjiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang, sp.

nov.¡XTYPE: CHINA. Hubei Province, Shennongjia

Nature Reserve, elev. 1,650 m, on grassy slope along

evergreen broad-leaved forest margin in a ravine,

abundant, 29 July 2006, Qi Gao & Y. S Chen 62

(holotype: PE).

¯«¹A¬[¯QÀY

Figures 1-3

Aconitum shennongjiaense simile A. kirinensi Nakai

floribus flavis et casside cylindrica, sed a quo differt axe

inflorescentiae et pedicellis dense patenterque aureo-

villosis, villis superfacie scabridis, casside altiore et

angustiore, 2.0-2.5 cm longa, prope medium 2.6-3.6 mm

crassa, calcari petali 1.5-2-plo longiore quam labio,

distincte recurvato vel circinato, ovariis dense aureo-

villosis, villis ascendentibus, seminibus obovoideis,

transverse lamellatis exalatis.

Herbs perennial, ca. 2 m tall. Rhizomes slender,

fascicled and terete, up to ca. 11 cm long, 6-10 mm in

diameter. Stem erect and branched, densely golden villous

with rough-surfaced patent hairs. Basal leaves 2-4, and

proximal cauline leaves long petiolate; petiole 12-27

cm long, densely golden villous with rough-surfaced

SySTEmATICS

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Figure 1. Photograph of the holotype of Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang (Qi Gao & You-sheng Chen 62, PE).

GAO and YANG ¡X

Aconitum shennongjiaense

, a new species from China

253

Figure 2. Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang. A, Lower part of plant and basal leaf; B, Rhizome; C, Upper part of

plant; D, Infructescence; E, Inflorescence; F, Flower; G, Petal; H, Lateral sepals; I, Lower sepals; J, Stamens. All from Qi Gao

& You-sheng Chen 62 (PE).

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Botanical Studies, Vol. 50, 2009

Figure 3. Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang. A, Habitat; B, Habit; C, Inflorescence; D, Flower. All from Qi Gao

& You-sheng Chen 62 (PE).

patent hairs; leaf blade reniform-pentagonal, 7-14 cm

long, 11-22 cm wide, densely golden villous with rough-

surfaced patent hairs on both sides, 3-parted; central lobe

indistinctly 3-parted or toothed with blunt mucronulate

or sometimes acute teeth; lateral lobes unequally 3-fid

below middle. Inflorescences terminal and axillary,

racemose, 10-20 cm long, flowers 10-20; rachis and

pedicels densely golden villous with rough-surfaced patent

hairs; proximal bracts leaflike, others linear, 3-4 mm long.

Pedicels 0.6-2.9 cm long, with 2 bracteoles at middle or

above; bracteoles linear, 3-4 mm long. Flowers bisexual,

zygomorphic; sepals 5, yellowish-green or yellow, densely

golden villous with rough-surfaced patent hairs outside;

lower sepals 2, one lanceolate and one oblong, ca. 8 mm

GAO and YANG ¡X

Aconitum shennongjiaense

, a new species from China

255

long; lateral sepals 2, broadly obovate, ca. 8 mm long;

helmet cylindrical, 2.0-2.5 cm high, middle 2.6-3.6 mm

in diameter, erect or slightly curved, clearly beaked,

lower margin 0.7-1.4 cm long. Petals glabrous; spur

recurved or circinate, 1.5-2 times as long as lip. Stamens

glabrous; filaments usually entire, rarely 2-denticulate.

Carpels 3; ovary densely golden villous with rough-

surfaced ascending hairs. Follicles 1.1-1.8 cm long. Seeds

numerous, brown, obovoid, ca. 3 mm long, shallowly

lamellate, not alate. Somatic chromosome number, 2n = 16

(Figure 8).

Additional specimens examined. CHINA. Hubei

Province, Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Songluo, 19

August 1976, Shennongjia Pl. Exped. 22332 (PE).

Ecology. On grassy slope along evergreen broad-leaved

forest margin in a ravine, elev. 1,650 m.

Distribution. Northwestern Hubei, China (Figure

7), rare, currently only known from two localities in

Shennongjia Nature Reserve.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type

locality, Shennongjia Nature Reserve, northwestern Hubei

Province, China.

Phenology. Flowering in July; fruiting from July to

August.

Chromosome cytology. For chromosome observation,

actively growing root tips were pretreated in 0.1%

colchicine for 2.5 h at room temperature and then fixed

in Carnoy I (3 ethanol:1glacial acetic acid). They were

macerated in 1:1 mixture of 1 N HCL and 45% acetic acid

at 60¢XC for 4 min, and stained and squashed in 1% aceto-

orcein.

Karyotype formula was based on measurements of

metaphase chromosomes taken from photographs. The

symbols used to describe the karyotypes followed Levan

et al. (1964): m = median centrometric chromosome

with arm ratio of 1.0-1.7; sm = submedian centromeric

chromosome with arm ratio of 1.7-3.0; st = subterminal

centromeric chromosome with arm ratio of 3.0-7.0.

The chromosomes of Aconitum shennongjiaense were

counted to be 2n = 16 (Figure 8) and the karyotype was

formulated as 2n = 2 m + 6 sm + 8 st (Figure 8). The new

species is not essentially different from its allied species A.

kirinense in chromosome number and morphology. In fact,

the karyotypes of all the diploid species with available

karyotypic data in the subgenus, such as A. alboviolaceum

Kom., A. finetianum Hand.-Mazz., A. longecassidatum

Nakai, A. sinomontanum Nakai, A. leucostomum

Vorosch., A. monticola Steinb., A. scaposum Franch., A.

septentrionale Koelle, A. umbrosum (Korsh.) Kom., and A.

barbatum Pers., are very similar to each other, commonly

consisting of one pair of m chromosomes, three pairs of

sm chromosomes and four pairs of st chromosomes (Sakai,

1933; Shang and Lee, 1984; Yang et al., 1993; Yang, 1996,

2001; Yuan and Yang, 2006; Gao and Yang, unpublished).

Notes. Aconitum shennongjiaense is similar to A.

kirinense in having yellow flowers and cylindrical helmets,

differing in the inflorescence axis and the pedicels densely

golden villous with rough-surfaced patent hairs (Figure

5C, E, G) (vs. strigose with rough-surfaced curved hairs,

Figure 5D, F, H); the helmet 2.0-2.5 cm high (vs. 1.6-2.1

cm), 2.6-3.6 mm broad (vs. 3.0-5.0 mm); the abaxial side

of lateral sepal densely golden villous with rough-surfaced

patent hairs (Figure 5A) (vs. strigose with rough-surfaced

curved hairs, Figure 5B); the spur of petals recurved or

circinate, 1.5-2 times as long as lip (Figure 4A) (vs. erect

or slightly recurved, subequaling or slightly shorter than

lip, Figure 4E); the ovary densely villous with rough-

surfaced ascending hairs (Figure 4C, D) (vs. densely

villous with rough-surfaced appressed hairs, Figure 4G,

F igure 4. Comparison of petals, seeds, carpels, a nd ovary pubescence of Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang

(A-D) and Aconitum kirinense Nakai var. australe W. T. Wang (E-H). A, E, Petals; B, F, Seeds; C, G, Carpels; D, H, Scanning

elect ron m icrographs of ovary pubescence. A-D from Qi Gao & You-sheng Chen 62 (PE); E-H from Qi Gao 88 (PE).

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Botanical Studies, Vol. 50, 2009

Figure 5. Comparison of hair morphology of Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang (A, C, E, G) and A. kirinense

Nakai var. australe W. T. Wang (B, D, F, H). A, Rough-surfaced patent hairs on the abaxial side of lateral sepal; B, Rough-

surfaced curved and appressed hairs on the abaxial side of lateral sepal; C, E, G, Rough-surfaced patent hairs on pedicel; D, F,

H, Rough-surfaced curved and appressed hairs on pedicel. Scale bar = 100 £gm (A, B, E, F); 500 £gm (C, D); 20 £gm (G, H). A, C,

E, G from Qi Gao & You-sheng Chen 62 (PE); B, D, F, H from Qi Gao 88 (PE).

GAO and YANG ¡X

Aconitum shennongjiaense

, a new species from China

257

H); the seeds brown and obovoid without transverse

membranous wings (Figure 4B) (vs. white and triangular-

pyramidal obviously with transverse membranous wings,

Figure 4F).

Aconitum shennongjiaense is also similar to A .

barbatum, a species itself most closely similar to A.

kirinense in all characters but the degree of leaf division

(Tamura and Lauener, 1979). Although Tamura and

Lauener (1979) accepted that A. kirinense can be

distinguished from A. barbatum by having less deeply

divided leaves, they pointed out that there are specimens

intermediate between the two species. In fact, Handel-

Mazzetti (1939) once reduced A. kirinense to A. barbatum.

The relationship between the two species needs a further

study.

Figure 6. Sca nni ng ele ct ron m icrographs of pe dicel pubesce nce of Aconit um wangy ediane nse Y. Z. Zha o. A, Ped icel

pubescence; B, Mixture of rough-surfaced curved hairs and smooth-surfaced glandular hairs; C, E, Smooth-surfaced glandular

hairs; D, F, Smooth-surfaced patent hairs. Scale bar = 500 £gm (A); 100 £gm (B-D); 20 £gm

(E, F). All from Xi-ting Lei & Wen-

sheng Yang 89 (PE).

Figu re 7. Dist ribution of Aconitum shennong jiaense Q. Gao

& Q. E. Yang (circle) in Hubei, China.

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Botanical Studies, Vol. 50, 2009

In the yellow-flowered and cylindrical-helmeted

Chinese species of Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum, A.

wangyedianense Y. Z. Zhao, a species occurring in Inner

Mongol, was described to have pedicels covered with

short yellowish patent hairs. As shown in Figure 6, the

pedicels of A. wangyedianense are predominantly covered

with smooth-surfaced glandular hairs, mixed with a few

smooth-surfaced patent hairs and rough-surfaced curved

hairs. Furthermore, A. wangyedianense is also different

from A. shennongjiaense by having glabrous ovary. It

should be noted that, as pointed out by Li and Kadota

(2001), A. wangyedianense is currently only known from

its type material and may be conspecific with A. monticola

Steinb., so further study is necessary to determine its

identity.

Interestingly, the pedicels of Aconitum mashikense

Kadota, a Japanese species described by Kadota (2001),

were also reported to be golden villous with rough-

surfaced patent hairs only. Kadota (2001) pointed out that

this species is the only representative with such pedicel

pubescence in the genus Aconitum from East Asia. Our

new species, Aconitum shennongjiaense, represents the

second species with such pedicel pubescence in this genus

from the region.

Acknowledgements. We are very grateful to Dr.

Yuichi Kadota for his invaluable comments on the

manuscript. We thank Mr. Yin-hou Xiao for his help

with SEM observation; Dr. Qiong Yuan for her help

with chromosome examination; Dr. You-sheng Chen for

his help in the field. This study was supported by the

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant. no.

30570118).

LITERATURE CITED

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Ranunculaceae. Acta Hort. Gotob. 13: 37-220.

Kadota, Y. 2001. Systematic studies of Asian Acontium

(Ranunculaceae) VII. A new species and a new form of

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76: 20-27.

Levan, A., K. Fredga, and A.A. Sandberg. 1964. Nomenclature

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Li, L.Q. and Y. Kadota. 2001. Aconitum L. In Z.Y. Wu and P. H.

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species of Aconitum in China. Acta Phytotax. S in. 22:

378-385.

Tamura, M. and L.A. Lauener. 1979. A synopsis of Aconitum

subgenus Lycoctonum: II. Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh

37: 431-466.

Yang, Q.E., X.Q. Wang, and D.Y. Hong. 1993. A karyotype study

of 7 species of Aconitum L. from China. J. Pl. Resourc.

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Figure 8. Somatic chromosomes at mitotic metaphase in Aconitum shennongjiaense Q. Gao & Q. E. Yang. A, Photom icrograph

of metaphase chromosome, 2n = 16; B, Karyotype, 2n = 2 m + 6 sm + 8 st. All from Q. Gao & You-sheng Chen 62 (PE).

GAO and YANG ¡X

Aconitum shennongjiaense

, a new species from China

259