Eriobotrya tsiangii Idrees & J.M.H.Shaw, 2025

Idrees, Muhammad, Li, Meng, Shaw, Julian M. H., Zhang, Zhiyong & Ahmad, Mushtaq, 2025, New species, combinations and synonyms in Eriobotrya (Rosaceae), Phytotaxa 712 (1), pp. 31-46 : 35-37

Eriobotrya tsiangii Idrees & J.M.H.Shaw , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2–4)

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan province, 1930, Y. Tsiang 21306 (holotype NAS00349967!; isotype NAS00349968!) .

Diagnosis: —The new species resembles E. malipoensis and E. serrata , but differs greatly from the former by leaf blades 18–35 × 5–12 cm long, petiole glabrous, leaf apex rounded or obtuse, leaf margins entire basally, remotely inconspicuously serrate apically, lateral veins 14–16 pairs, leaf abaxially glabrous; panicle 4–5 × 2.5–3 cm long, flowers sessile, bracts ovate, and ovary 5-loculed. It differs from E. serrata by leaf blades 18–35 × 5–12 cm long, leaf margins entire basally, remotely inconspicuously serrate apically, leaf abaxially glabrous, panicle 4–5 × 2.5–3 cm long, flowers sessile, pedicels and peduncle densely rusty tomentose, styles connate at base ( Table 2).

Description:— Small to medium-size tree. Branchlets yellowish brown, roughened, and glabrous. Stipules caducous, not seen. Petioles 1–2 cm in length, glabrous. Leaf oblanceolate or obovate, blades 18–35 × 5–12 cm, both surfaces glabrous and leathery, with a prominent midrib on both sides, 14–16 pairs of secondary veins, conspicuous reticulate tertiary veins, looped near the margin; base attenuate, margin entire basally and remotely inconspicuously serrate apically, glabrous; apex rounded or obtuse. Inflorescence in terminal panicle, 4–5 × 2.5–3 cm in diam., contracted and multi-flowered; peduncle 2–5 mm in length, densely covered in rusty tomentum; bracts ovate, 5–6 mm long, free, abaxially rusty tomentose, adaxially glabrous, bracteoles laceolate, ca. 5 mm long, abaxially rusty tomentose, adaxially glabrous, pedicel absent. Flowers sessile, yellowish, about 0.5–1 cm in diameter. Hypanthium cupular, densely covered in rusty tomentum, ca. 5 mm long, calyx 5-lobed; lobes ovate, 3 × 2 mm, abaxially rusty tomentose, adaxially glabrous, apex subacute, margin entire. Petals 5, yellowish, obovate or rounded, 5 × 3–4 mm in length, with a white villous at base. Stamens 20; filaments around 2 mm in length, glabrous; anthers approximately 1 mm in length. Ovary pubescent, 5-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 5, fused or connate at one fourth, 4–4.5 mm in length, densely covered in yellowish villous at base. Fruits not seen.

Etymology:— The specific epithet honours Professor Ying Tsiang (1898—1982; Department of Forestry, South

China Agriculture University, Guangdong, China) for his substantial contributions to Flora Reipublicae Popularis

Sinicae , and Flora Yunnanica (1983) . Distribution:— Eriobotrya tsiangii is only known from the collection specimen, Yunnan Province, China.