Salvia tainingensis Y. L. Gao, D. Xie & Z. L. Ning, 2024

Xie, Dan, Zhang, Meng-Hua, Dong, Shu-Peng, Gao, Yuan-Long, Zhang, Dai-Gui & Ning, Zu-Lin, 2024, Salvia tainingensis, a neglected new species of Lamiaceae from Fujian Province, China, Phytotaxa 669 (2), pp. 150-158 : 153-156

Salvia tainingensis Y. L. Gao, D. Xie & Z. L. Ning sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 .

Type: — CHINA. Fujian Province: Sanming City, Taining County, Changxing Village, Zhuangyuanyan Scenic Area, 117.196556° E, 26.97377° N, elev. 352 m, 31 May 2024, Zu-Lin Ning, Dan Xie & Shu-Peng Dong TN002 (holotype: IBSC 1021504!).

Description: Herbs perennial, 8–35 cm tall. Roots pale yellow-brown. Stem unbranched, 4-angled, longitudinally grooved, sparsely villous or glabrescent. Leaves all basal, simple. Petiole purplish-red, rarely pale green, 1.5–15 cm, sparsely villous or glabrescent. Leaf blade leathery, ovate-elliptic or elliptic, 1.2–15 cm × 0.7–5 cm; apex acuminate to rounded, base subrounded or cuneate, sometimes asymmetric, margin serrate, adaxially green, densely villous or glabrescent; abaxially purplish-red with purplish-red or pale green venation, rarely pale green, glabrous. Verticillasters 4–6 flowered, in terminal racemes or panicles 5–25 cm, extending to one side; bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–1.2 cm × 0.1–0.2 cm; bracteoles ovate-elliptic, ca. 3 mm, entire. Calyx narrowly campanulate, ca. 5 mm long, glandular, sparsely villous on veins; upper lip semicircular, inside densely villous upper and glabrous lower; lower lip shallowly 2-toothed, teeth triangular, sparsely villous middle. Corolla 1–1.4 cm long; tube white, ca. 0.45 cm long, glabrous; limb white or violet, 2-lipped; posterior lip spreading, ca. 0.4 cm long, 2-lobed, densely villous outside; anterior lip horizontally spreading, ca. 0.4 mm long, 3-lobed; lateral lobes obliquely ovate-elliptic, densely pubescent outside, middle lobe fan shaped, apex bilobed, densely pubescent outside. Stamens exserted ca. 5 mm from the corolla; filaments ca. 2 mm; connective ca. 6 mm, arranged in an X–shape with filament; upper arm ca. 5 mm; lower arm separated, ca. 1 mm long; anthers black-brown, ca. 1 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, ca. 0.9 mm long, yellow-green; style ca. 10 mm long, glabrous; stigma 2, unequal 2-lobed.

Phenology. Flowering from May to June and fruiting from June to July.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from Taining County, where it was discovered.

Vernacular name:—ǙṪfflaeḍ (Chinese).

Distribution and habitat: S. tainingensis currently occurs only in Fujian Province with two locations, the Zhuangyuanyan Scenic Area of Taining County and the Jiangshi Provincial Nature Reserve of Shaowu county. It mainly grows on humid cliff at an elevation from 300 m to 500 m, in association with herbs such as Begonia grandis , Selaginella delicatula , Polystichum deltodon and Trichophorum subcapitatum .

Conservation status: Considerable number of S. tainingensis were observed in Zhuangyuanyan Scenic Area and individuals in Jiangshi Provincial Nature Reserve are effectively protected by local government. Therefore, we accessed S. tainingensis as Least Concern (LC) according to IUCN Red list criteria ( IUCN 2024). Certainly, continuous dynamic monitoring should be taken and the threat level should be modified timely on the population of S. tainingensis due to its high ornamental value and higher risk of collection in the scenic spot.

Paratype: — CHINA. Fujian Province: Sanming City, Taining County, Changxing Village, Zhuangyuanyan Scenic Area, 117.195476° E, 26.972211° N, elev. 492 m, 31 May 2024, Zu-Lin Ning, Dan Xie & Shu-Peng Dong TN005 (holotype: IBSC 1021505!).

Additional photos examined: Fujian: Nanping City, Shaowu County, Jiangshi Provincial Nature Reserve (PPBC ID: 14842963, photographed by Xin-Yan Chen)

Figures

FIGURE 1. Image of living plants of Salvia tainingensis. A, B, C Habitat D Individual E, F Inflorescence G–J Flower K Connective and filament L Calyx M Bract N Leaves

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Salvia tainingensis.