Research Paper
Two new species of Gesneriaceae from Eastern China
Guo-Liang Xu, Zheng-Long Li, Chui-Xiang Wang, Hong-Wei Zhang, Shang-Chun Zeng, Xiao-Hui Zeng, Li-Fei Wang, Ting Wang
Published on: 11 January 2026
Page: 73 - 82
DOI: 10.6165/tai.2026.71.73
Abstract
Palmatiboea curvituba and P. recurva are described and illustrated here. Both species resemble P. heucherifolia in having the calyx divided to the base, palmately veined leave blades with eglandular hairs on both surfaces, and a pink, externally puberulent corolla. However, P. curvituba differs from P. heucherifolia in that its corolla tube curved-funnelform-tubular (vs. funnelform-tubular), ratio of the corolla tube length to the orifice diameter ca. 2.62–2.92 (vs. ca. 1.4–1.74); leaf blade abaxially glabrous between veins (vs. pubescent); calyx lobes margins entire (vs. denticulate). P. recurva differs from P. heucherifolia by: corolla tube with a distinct pit on the middle of adaxial lip (vs. without a pit), ratio of the corolla tube length to the orifice diameter ca. 2.82–3.17 (vs. ca. 1.41—1.74), upper half part of corolla tube slightly upward-curving (vs. not upward-curving); peduncle, abaxial surface of bracts and abaxial surface of calyxes villous and mixed glandular-pubescent (vs. villous mixed eglandular-pubescent). Based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the conservation status of both new species is assessed as Data Deficient (DD).
Keyword: Jiangxi Province, Palmatiboea curvituba, Palmatiboea heucherifolia, Palmatiboea recurve, Zhejiang Province
Literature Cited
Beentje, H. 2016 The Kew Plant Glossary, an illustrated dictionary of plant terms (2nd edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 184.
Doyle, J.J., Doyle, J.L. 1987 A rapid DNA isolation procedure for small quantities of fresh leaf tissue. Phytochem. Bull. 19: 11–15.
Fu, L.-F., Monro, A.K., Wei, Y.-G. 2022 Cataloguing vascular plant diversity of karst caves in China. Biodivers. Sci. 30(7): 21537.
DOI: 10.17520/biods.2021537View Article
Google Scholar
Harris, J.G., Harris, M.W. 2006 Plant Identification Terminology: an Illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, 216.
IUCN Standards and petitions committee 2024 Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 15. Prepared by the Standards and petitions committee. Available from:http://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf (accessed 21 December 2024).
Katoh, K., Misawa, K., Kuma, K., Miyata, T. 2002 MAFFT: A novel method for rapid multiple sequence alignment based on fast Fourier transform. Nucleic Acids Res. 30(14): 3059–3066.
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkf436View Article
Google Scholar
Lee, S.Y., Xu, K.-W., Huang, C.-Y., Lee, J.H, Liao, W.-B., Zhang, Y.-H., Fan, Q. 2022 Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the complete plastid genomes and nuclear sequences reveal Daphne (Thymelaeaceae) to be non-monophyletic as current circumscription. Plant Divers. 44(3): 279–289.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.11.001View Article
Google Scholar
Li, J.-M., Li, S.-J. 2014 Didymocarpus heucherifolius var. yinzhengii (Gesneriaceae), a new taxon from Hunan, China. Phytotaxa 156(3): 187–190.
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.156.3.10View Article
Google Scholar
Li, Z.-L., Huang, Z.-J., Chen, D.-W., Hong, X., Wen, F. 2023 A new combination and a new synonym of Gesneriaceae in China. PhytoKeys 232: 99–107.
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.232.108644View Article
Google Scholar
Liu, F.-P., Han, M.-Q., Li, P.-W., Wang, Y.-Z 2025 Phylogenetic Reconstruction of Didymocarpus and Related Genera in Gesneriaceae with Establishment of Two New Genera. J. Syst. Evol. 63(2): 401–415.
DOI: 10.1111/jse.13124View Article
Google Scholar
Monro, A.K., Bystriakova, N., Fu, L.-F., Wen, F., Wei, Y.-G. 2018 Discovery of a diverse cave flora in China. Plos One 13(2): e0190801.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190801View Article
Google Scholar
Nguyen, L. T., Schmidt, H. A., Haeseler, A., Minh, B. Q. 2015 IQ-TREE: A fast and effective stochastic algorithm for estimating maximum-likelihood phylogenies. Mol. Biol. Evol. 32(1): 268–274.
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu300View Article
Google Scholar
Ronquist, F., Teslenko, M., Van der Mark, P., Ayres, D.L., Darling, A., H?hna, S., Larget, B., Liu, L., Suchard, M.A., Huelsenbeck, J.P. 2012 Mrbayes 3.2: Efficient Bayesian phylogenetic inference and model choice across a large model space. Syst. Biol. 61(3): 539–542.
DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/sys029View Article
Google Scholar
Wang, W.-T., Pan, K.-Y., Li, Z.-Y. 1990 Gesneriaceae. In: Wang WT (Ed.) Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae 69: 420–451, Science Press, Beijing.
Wang, W.-T., Pan, K.-Y., Li, Z.-Y., Anna, L.W., Laurence, E.S. 1998 Gesneriaceae in: Wu, Z. Y., Raven, P. H. (eds.) Flora of China 18: 244–401, Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
Weber, A., Burtt, B. 1997 Remodelling of Didymocarpus and associated genera (Gesneriaceae). Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 70: 293–364.
Weber, A., Wei, Y.-G., Puglisi, C., Wen, F., Mayer, V.E., M?ller, M. 2011 A new definition of the genus Petrocodon (Gesneriaceae). Phytotaxa 23(1): 49–67.
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.23.1.3View Article
Google Scholar
Wei, Y.-G., Fu, L.-F., Monro, A. K., Wen, F. 2025 Karst Cave plants in China. Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House. 1–396.
Wen, F., Fan, Q. 2024 Several new combinations from previous Didymocarpus to Palmatiboea (Gesneriaceae). Phytokeys 250: 1–6.
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.250.138694View Article
Google Scholar
Wen, F., Qiu, Y.-L., Huang, J., Zhao, B., Wei, Y.-G. 2013 Didymocarpus dissectus sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Fujian, Eastern China. Nord. J. Bot. 31(3): 316–320.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2012.00057.xView Article
Google Scholar
White, T.J., Bruns, T., Lee, S., Taylor, J., Innis, M., Gelfand, D., Sninsky, J. 1990 Amplification and Direct Sequencing of Fungal Ribosomal RNA Genes for Phylogenetics. In: Innis, M.A., Gelfand, D.H., Sninsky, J.J. White, T.J. (eds.) Pcr Protocols: a Guide to Methods and Applications, 18: 315–322, Academic Press, New York.
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-372180-8.50042-1View Article
Google Scholar
Xie, W.-Y., Zhou, J.-J., Hong, X., Wen, F. 2020 Didymocarpus lobulatus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Zhejiang Province, East China. PhytoKeys 157: 145–153.
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.157.30349View Article
Google Scholar
Xu, W.-J., Qin, W.-H., Wang, Z.-Q., Li, Z.-L., Fu, L.-F., Hong, X. 2019 A new variety of Didymocarpus (Gesneriaceae) from Guangdong, China. PhytoKeys 128: 33–38.
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.128.35446View Article
Google Scholar
Yang, L.-H., Dai, J.-M., Wen, F., Liu, J.-M., Lan, X.-Z,. Fan, Q. 2024 Didymocarpus pingyuanensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species endemic to Danxia landscape from Guangdong Province, China, and two new combinations in Didymocarpus. PhytoKeys 244: 213–224.
DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.244.126137View Article
Google Scholar
Zhang, D., Gao, F., Jakovli?, I., Zou, H., Zhang, J., Li, W.-X., Wang, G.-T. 2020 PhyloSuite: An integrated and scalable desktop platform for streamlined molecular sequence data management and evolutionary phylogenetics studies. Mol. Ecol. Resour. 20(1): 348–355.
DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13096View Article
Google Scholar

