Sinojohnstonia henanensis L. X. Liu & P. Li, 2025

Jiang, Li-Qiong, Luo, Yuan, Gong, Jian-Ping, Zhang, Nai-Yu, Li, Pan, Liao, Wen-Bo & Liu, Lu-Xian, 2025, Sinojohnstonia henanensis (Boraginaceae), a new species from Henan, China, PhytoKeys 261, pp. 45-58 : 45-58

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.261.161917
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16746136
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AF31DDC4-7DA2-530D-A2AF-AAA5AAEF0572
treatment provided by	PhytoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Sinojohnstonia henanensis L. X. Liu & P. Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Sinojohnstonia henanensis L. X. Liu & P. Li sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4

Type.

Henan Province, Luoyang City, Song County, Checun Town, Muzhaling Scenic Area , in forests, shaded moist loose soil areas, ca. 1870 m, 33°44'33.48"N, 112°14'28.13"E, 3 May 2025, Liu LX & Yu J LLX 20250503 (holotype: ZM; isotype: HZU) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Sinojohnstonia henanensis is morphologically similar to S. chekiangensis and S. ruhuaii but differs from the former in its basal leaves with petioles 1–11 cm, lamina 0.7–6 × 0.6–4 cm (vs. with petioles 10–18 cm, lamina 3–12 × 1.5–9 cm), calyx in flower ca. 2.5–3.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, obviously shorter than corolla tube (vs. in flower ca. 3–7 × 1.4–2.7 mm, slightly longer than corolla tube), corolla blue-purple, slightly pinkish white, ca. 6–10 mm, lobes ca. 1.8–2.5 mm (vs. white or light reddish, ca. 10 mm, lobes ca. 3–4 mm), and style ca. 6–8 mm (vs. ca. 3–6 mm), and from the latter in its calyx in flower obviously shorter than corolla tube (vs. in flower slightly longer than corolla tube), corolla blue-purple, slightly pinkish white, ca. 6–10 mm (vs. white or light reddish white, ca. 5–6 mm), anthers exserted from the corolla tube, upon the throat appendages, filaments ca. 2–4 mm (vs. anthers exserted somewhat from the corolla tube, but below the throat appendages, filaments ca. 0.5 mm), and style ca. 6–8 mm (vs. ca. 2.5–4 mm). Their differences are summarized in Table 1 View Table 1 .

Description.

Herbs with several rhizomes, stems several, prostrate to spreading, up to 20 cm tall. Leaves alternate the blade ovate-elliptical, base cordate or slightly flattened truncate, apex obtuse or acuminate, densely strigose abaxially and adaxially; basal leaves several, with petioles 1–11 cm, lamina 0.7–6 × 0.6–4 cm; cauline leaves, with petioles 0.6–3 cm, lamina 1–4.5 × 0.8–3.5 cm. Inflorescences terminal, racemose with 1 or 2 branches, ca. 1–5 cm, densely short strigose, up to 9 - or 10 - flowered, ebracteate; pedicel ca. 1–10 mm long. Calyx in flower ca. 2.5–3.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, obviously shorter than corolla tube, 5 - parted to base; lobes linear-lanceolate; densely strigose abaxially and adaxially, in fruit enlarging to 6–8 × 1.7–3 mm and becoming saccate. Corolla blue-purple, slightly pinkish white, campanulate, ca. 6–10 mm, glabrous; corolla limb 5 - parted, spreading, distinctly shorter than corolla tube; lobes ovate, ca. 1.8–2.5 mm long; throat appendages 5, semi-obicular, ca. 0.2 mm; stamens 5, inserted on upper part of corolla tube, anthers exserted from the corolla tube, upon the throat appendages; filaments ca. 2–4 mm, anthers oblong, ca. 0.4–0.7 mm. Ovary deeply 4 - lobed; style ca. 6–8 mm; stigma capitate. Fruit a nutlet, tetrahedral, 3–3.5 × 1–2 mm, sparsely pubescent; nutlet with abaxial membranous margin-inflexed cupular emergence, attachment scar slightly below middle of adaxial surface; seeds ca. 2 × 1 mm.

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting period from April to May.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from its distribution in Henan Province, China.

Vernacular name.

We propose a Chinese name, Hé nán chē qián zǐ cǎo (河南车前紫草).

Distribution and habitat.

Sinojohnstonia henanensis has been found only in the Muzhaling Scenic Area of Song County, Henan Province. It grows in forests with shaded, moist, and loose soil areas at an elevation of approximately 1870 meters.

IUCN conservation status.

Currently, Sinojohnstonia henanensis is only known from a single location in Muzhaling Scenic Area of Song County, Henan Province. During the present survey, only a few mature plants (fewer than 100) were observed. The extent of occurrence for S. henanensis is less than 100 km 2. The plants are directly threatened by human disturbances such as tourism. Following the IUCN (2024) criteria B and C, a preliminary conservation assessment classifies S. henanensis as Critically Endangered (CR).