Scutellaria yangchunensis Y. P. Zeng, 2025

Zeng, You-Pai, Xu, Ye-Chun & Chen, Guo-Di, 2025, Taxonomic studies on Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) from China (I): two new species from southwestern Guangdong province, Phytotaxa 711 (2), pp. 157-169 : 164-167

2. Scutellaria yangchunensis Y. P. Zeng , sp. nov. Figs. 7–9 .

Type:— CHINA. Guangdong province: Yangchun city, Chunwan town , 111.9316929°E, 22.43848166°N, on limestone slopes, 100 m a.s.l., 10 March 2023, Y. P. Zeng & G. D. Chen 603 (holotype IBSC; isotypes IBSC) .

Diagnosis:—Morphologically Scutellaria yangchunensis resembles S. wongkei ( Figs. 4 , 5 ) in habit and in having upwardly curved hairs on the stem and rachis, bracts similar to leaves and gradually reduced, and bluish or lilac flowers, but differs for its leaves and bracts shallowly serrate or entire (vs. crenate) at the margin ( Figs. 4B , 5B, D , 8D, E ), hirtellous only on veins (vs. totally hirtellous on both sides) ( Figs. 4B , 5D , 8D ), and middle lobe of lower lip of corolla dark purple spotted (vs. whitish) ( Figs. 5B, D , 8F, H ). From S. albovillosa , S. yangchunensis is readily distinguishable by having short (ca. 0.1 mm vs. ca. 0.5 mm long), upwardly curved and eglandular (vs. erect and glandular) hairs on the stem and rachis ( Figs. 2B, C , 8B, C ), leaves and bracts shallowly serrate or entire (vs. crenate) ( Figs. 2D, E , 8D, E ), and corolla tube base not saccate (vs. saccate, with a ca. 0.8 mm long sac) ( Figs. 2F , 8F ). A detailed comparison of the three species is given in Table 1.

Description:—Perennial herb. Roots fibrous. Stems erect, woody at the base, 20–60 cm tall, much branched, densely hirtellous, hairs upwardly curved, ca. 0.1 mm long. Leaf blades ovate, 0.3–2.8 cm long, 0.3–1.4 mm broad, papery, short hirtellous on the veins, base rounded, very occasionally subcordate, apex obtuse, margin shallowly serrate or entire; petioles 0.5–1.3 cm long. Inflorescence on branchlets, racemose, few-flowered; bracts leaflike and gradually reduced as entire; pedicel 1.8–2 mm long, densely glandular villose. Calyx ca. 2 mm long in flower, ca. 2.5 mm in fruit, densely glandular villose outside; scutellum ca. 1 mm long in flower, ca. 2 mm long in fruit. Corolla whitish lilac or bluish purple, 1.4–1.6 cm long, glandular pilose outside, sparsely pilose on lip inside; tube suberect, base slightly bending, to 2.6 mm broad at throat; middle lobe of lower lip dark purple spotted, broadly-ovate, slightly constricted at middle, apex emarginate; lateral lobes ovate. Stamens 4, in two pairs, one pair ca. 4 mm long, the other pair ca. 9 mm long; filament villose at base. Ovary 4-parted, subglobose, smooth. Style ca. 1.5 cm long, glabrous. Nutlets chestnut to dark brown when dry, ovoid, ca. 1 mm in diam., tuberculate, adaxially umbonate near base.

Distribution and habitat: Scutellaria yangchunensis is currently known only from its type locality, i.e. Yangchun city in southwestern Guangdong province, China ( Fig. 6 ). It grows on limestone slopes at an elevation of 150 m a.s.l.

Phenology:—Flowering from March to April.

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the type locality of the new species, i.e. Yangchun city in Guangdong province, China.

Vernacular name:— Ḇǝffẓ, yang chun huang qin in Chinese Pinyin.

Conservation status:— Scutellaria yangchunensis is currently known only from its type locality, Yangchun city. Only approximately 50 individuals were discovered in this population and are quite vulnerable to human activities, as this population is situated very closely to residential area (less than 200 m). Similar to S. albovillosa , all our knowledge of this new species relies on the single population we visited, the conservation status of S. yangchunensis thus should also be considered as “Data Deficient (DD)”.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Scutellaria albovillosa in the wild (Yangchun city in Guangdong, China, the type locality). A. Roots. B. Portion of stems. C. Portion of rachis. D. Leaves (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side), insets showing the indumentum. E. Bracts. F. Flowers; the arrow indicates the sac at the corolla tube base. G. Calyx in flower. H. Corolla dissection. I. Corolla dissection, showing the stamens. J. Ovary and style. K. Calyx dissection in fruit. L. Nutlets (above: front view; below: lateral view).

FIGURE 4. Holotype sheet of Scutellaria wongkei, showing habit (A), leaves (B), inflorescence (C) and flowers (D).

FIGURE 5. Scutellaria wongkei in the wild from Guangdong, China (A, B: Xinhui population; C, D: Zengcheng population).

FIGURE 6. Distribution map of Scutellaria albovillosa, S. wongkei and S. yangchunensis.

FIGURE 7. Scutellaria yangchunensis in the wild (Yangchun city in Guangdong, China, the type locality). A, B. Habitat. C, D. Habit. E, F. Inflorescences.

FIGURE 8. Scutellaria yangchunensis in the wild (Yangchun city in Guangdong, China, the type locality).A. Roots. B. Portion of stems. C. Portion of rachis. D. Leaves (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side), insets showing the indumentum. E. Bracts. F. Flowers. G. Calyx in flower. H. Corolla dissection. I. Stamens. J. Ovary and style. K. Calyx dissection in fruit. L. Nutlets (above: front view; below: lateral view).