Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li, a new species of Araceae from western Yunnan, China

2007·0.21 MB·

by  Dao Zhi-Ling

植 物 分 类 学 报 45 (2): 234–238(2007) doi:10.1360/aps050136
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica http://www.plantsystematics.com
Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li, a new species of

Araceae from western Yunnan, China
DAO Zhi-Ling CHEN Shao-Tian JI Yun-Heng LI Heng*
(Kunming Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China)
Abstract Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li (Araceae: Areae), a new species from
western Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. This species differs mainly from other
species of Typhonium by the presence of one to two rings of sterile male flowers above the
fertile male flowers, and from T. blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan by a conic female part of the
spadix, the appendix not being truncate at its base, and by the angustate limb of the spathe.
The chromosome number of Typhonium blumei, which occurs in same area, is 2n=52, while
the chromosome number of the new species is 2n=10. The chromosome number of the new
species is the lowest in the family Araceae.
Key words Typhonium, Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li, Araceae, new species,
Yunnan, China.
Typhonium Schott (Araceae: Areae) is a genus containing about 60 (44) species (Schott,
1832; Sriboonma et al., 1994; Hay, 1997; Mayo et al., 1997; Hetterscheid & Boyce, 2000;
Hetterscheid & Nguyen, 2001; Hetterscheid et al., 2001; Wang et al., 2002), excluding
Sauromatum Schott species which were moved into Typhonium by Hetterscheid and Boyce
(2000). The genus Typhonium is generally distributed in south, southeast and east Asia, and
extends throughout the Pacific area to Australasia. Some species are weeds and have become
naturalized in various parts of the world outside Asia. There are 16 species reported in
northern and southern provinces of China except Jilin and Xinjiang (Li, 1979; Li & Liu, 1983;
Li & Long, 1998; Wang et al., 2002).
In the summer of 2003, during an expedition in the Baihualing, Baoshan, Yunnan
Province, we encountered an unusual population of Typhonium. After having carefully
examined the relevant herbarium specimens, reviewed the relevant literatures, and
investigated the chromosome number, we provide here the morphological and karyological
evidence and conclude that these plants are sufficiently distinct to be recognized as a new
species.
1 Material and methods
The morphological study was based on specimens from KUN and PE and plants
cultivated in Kunming Botanical Garden. With help of keys and descriptions of Li (1979), Li
and Liu (1983), Hay (1997), Hetterscheid and Boyce (2000), Hetterscheid and Nguyen
(2001), Hetterscheid et al. (2001), and Wang et al. (2002), morphological features of the new
species were compared with those of the closely related species. Mitotic chromosomes were
investigated using root tips obtained from the holotype. These root tips were pretreated with
8-hydroxyquinoline at room temperature for 3 h, then fixed in ethyl alcohol-acid (3:1)
solution at 4 ℃ for 30 min, and later hydrolysed in 1 mol/L HCl at 60 ℃ for 3–4 min. After
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Received: 8 September 2005 Accepted: 31 October 2006
Supported by the National Science Foundation of U.S.A., Grant No. DEB-0103795, and The Ministry of Science and
Technology of the People’s Republic of China, Grant No. 2001DEA10009.
* Author for correspondence. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel.: [phone]; Fax: [phone].
No. 2 DAO et al.: Typhonium baoshanense, a new species of Araceae from China 235
being rinsed in distilled water 3 times, they were stained in Carbol Fuchsin solution for 1 h
and then flattened for light microscopy.
2 Results
The chromosomes were counted in 12 somatic cells. The new species has 10
chromosomes which were easy to group into five pairs (Fig. 1), so it is a diploid species and
the basic chromosome number is 5.

Fig. 1. Mitotic metaphase chromosomes in somatic cells of Typhonium baoshanense.

3 Discussion
Typhonium baoshanense is a unique species in Typhonium by the presence of sterile
male flowers in more or less two rings above the fertile male flowers. Compared with other
species in this genus, it is closely similar to T. blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan (1981) but
differs by the conic female part of the spadix (cylindric in T. blumei), the lower number of
sterile flowers between the female and male flowers, the appendix which is non-truncate at its
base and by the much narrower limb of the spathe.
The chromosome numbers in Typhonium are 2n=10, 16, 18, 20, 26, 36, 52, 54, 65, >100
(Mayo et al., 1997; Wang et al., 2002). The lowest diploid number so far known in the genus
and the family Araceae is 2n=10, which was first observed in T. jinpingense Z. L. Wang, H.
Li & F. H. Bian (Wang et al., 2002). T. baoshanense shares the lowest basic chromosome
number in the family Araceae with T. jinpingense, but is distinguished from the latter by leaf
blade deeply cordate at base, and margins and upper part of spathe limb pale green.
236 Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45
4 Taxonomical treatment
Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li, sp. nov. Fig. 2
保山犁头尖
Typhonium baoshanense ab omnibus speciebus ceteris generis Typhonii spadice prope
basin staminodiis subglobosis in verticillum dispositis differt; Typhonio blumei Nicolson &
Sivadasan simile, sed inflorescentia pistillata conica, appendicis basi cylindrica spathae, limbo
angustato, et chromosomato numero 2n=10 (non 2n=52) recedit.
Perennial herb, displaying seasonal dormancy. Young rhizome subcylindric, 2–3 cm
long, 1–1.5 cm in diam.; old rhizome irregularly depressed globose, ca. 3 cm in diam.,
developing several small globose offsets with leaves and numerous roots. Leaves 2–3; petiole
greenish, smooth, 8–14 cm long, sheath 3–4.5 cm long; blade green above, pale green below,
cordate-oblong, ovate, or hastate-oblong when on young plants, and cordate-sagittate on the
flowering plant, slightly trifid, deeply cordate at base, apex acute, terminal lobe ovate, 6 cm
long and 5 cm wide, lateral lobes ovate-oblong, 4.5 cm long and 3 cm wide. Inflorescence
appearing with the leaves; peduncle hidden in the soil, whitish, 1.3–4.5 cm long; spathe 18 cm
long, tube pale green, 2 cm long and 1.5 cm in diam.; spathe limb purple on both surfaces,
margins and upper part pale green, long-lanceolate, to 15 cm long and ca. 3 cm wide,
convolute at first and opening later, not recurved, above medium flagelliform, incurved.
Spadix sessile, as long as spathe or slightly longer, 18–20 cm long in total; female zone
yellowish, short-conic, 5 mm long and 7 mm in diam., separated from male zone by a whitish
axis to 2.5 cm length, covered only in the basal part with sterile flowers, male zone cylindric,
yellow, 5 mm long and 3 mm in diam., densely flowered, appendix dark purple, 14.5 cm long
and 0.3 cm (base) in diam., distally mouse-tailed, suberect, with two verticils of dysfunctional
stamens (staminodes) near the base of appendix. Male flowers: stamens yellow, free, anthers
subsessile, connective slender, anthers dehiscent by apical pores. Staminodes subglobose or
muscle-like, without pollen, anthers yellow, connective purple. Sterile flowers: above female
flowers, ca. 14, verticillate, subcylindric, acute or obtuse, yellow, 3–4 mm long and 1 mm. in
diam. Female flowers: ovary yellowish, ovoid, stigma punctate, brown. Flowering period June
to July.
Chromosome number: 2n=10
China. Yunnan (云南): Baoshan (保山), east slope of Gaoligong Mountains, Baihualing (百花岭),
Hanlong Village (汉龙村), 98º48′11″ E, 25º17′44.7″ N, alt. 1650 m, growing under Castanea mollissima Bl.
plantation with Juglans regia L. and concomitant species of Lindera communis Hemsl., Phoebe puwenensis
Cheng etc. 2003-06-15, Z. L. Dao & H. Li (刀志灵, 李恒) 101 (holotype, KUN).
Distribution: China. Yunnan (云南): Baoshan (保山), east slope of Gaoligong
Mountains.
Habitat: Typhonium plants usually are found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical
humid area and seasonal forests, secondary forest, farming land, among rocks, wet sites,
stream sides, and grass land at alt. below 1000 m. In China T. diversifolium Wall. grows in
alpine grass plain at alt. 3300–3700 m (Xizang, Yunnan, Sichuan); T. alpinum C. Y. Wu ex H.
Li et al., endemic to Yunnan, was collected from wet grass land of 3350–4000 m. T.
trifoliatum Wang & Lo ex H. Li et al. is distributed in northern China (Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi
and Nei Mongol) (Li, 1979). Typhonium baoshanense is described from western Yunnan at
alt. 1650 m in plantations. It grows with T. blumei which has chromosome number 2n=52.
Etymology: The new species is named after its type locality.
Note: The living tuber of the type is cultivated in Kunming Botanical Garden. The leaves
wilt in September. At the end of October, the tuber divides into 5 small tubers about 7×4 mm
with young shoots.
No. 2 DAO et al.: Typhonium baoshanense, a new species of Araceae from China 237

Fig. 2. Typhonium baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li. A, flowering plant with tuber; B, young plant; C, inflorescence; D,
male flowers and sterile male flowers (staminodes) above the fertile male flowers; E, staminode; F, sterile flowers above
female zone; G, female flowers. Drawn by X. L. Wu from Z. L. Dao & H. Li 101.
238 Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45
Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to Dr. Josef BOGNER (Augsburger Strasse
43a, D-86368 Gersthofen, Germany), and Dr. Bruce BARTHOLOMEW (California Academy
of Science, U.S.A.) for reviewing our manuscript. We also wish to thank Mr. WU Xi-Lin
(Kunming Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences) for preparing the
illustration.
References
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中国滇西天南星科一新种——保山犁头尖
刀志灵 陈绍田 纪运恒 李 恒*
(中国科学院昆明植物研究所 昆明 650204)
摘要 描述了天南星科Araceae南星族Areae犁头尖属Typhonium Schott一新种——保山犁头尖Typhonium
baoshanense Z. L. Dao & H. Li, 它的叶形和佛焰苞形态与犁头尖T. blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan相似, 但
附属器下部, 雄花序之上, 有1–2轮不育雄花(退化雄蕊), 雌花序圆锥形, 附属器基部截形和佛焰苞檐
部狭窄而易于区别。同域分布的犁头尖染色体数目为2n=52, 本种染色体数目为2n=10, 为天南星科的
最低染色体基数。
关键词 犁头尖属; 保山犁头尖; 天南星科; 新种; 云南; 中国