吉仙山茶 Camellia cattienensis OrelCamellia cattienensis

Camellia cattienensis Orel sp. nov. Folia magna nitida anguste oblonga; pedicelli breves proximaliter distincte dilatati; flores plerumque terminales; petala biverticillata interdum emarginata armeniaca mutabilia albomarginata; stylus ex partibus quinque constatus parte conjuncta parte libera triplo breviore; ovarium superum quinqueloculare. Typus: Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., margem do rio Dong Nai, terra firme, 19 Dec. 2007, G. Orel, G. Richards, M. Richards & staff of Cat Tien National Park Orel 0711 (holotypus NSW!; isotypi NSW!, HN!).

Shrub c. 5 m tall, well branched, sometimes multi-stemmed, upright habit, twigs glabrous, green towards terminals, with brown-grey patches, turning entirely light brown on semi-mature branches; older branches and stem light brown to grey. Leaf petiole slightly curved, irregularly triangular in transverse section, thick, glabrous, shiny, green to brown, up to 10 mm long, 3 – 5 mm thick, partially covered by auricles of proximal leaf lamina, petiole attached to branches at c. 45° angle to midrib. Leaf buds light to mid-green at the base, reddish-brown at distal end, axillary, with sharp apex, 3 – 5 × c. 2 mm. Leaf-blade while developing soft and pendulous, dull green, with distinct orange sheen when fully developed but still young. Mature leaves irregularly serrate, undulate, up to 35 – 36 × 8.5 – 9 cm; lamina glabrous, distinctly oblong to narrowly elliptic, leaf apex acute, base auriculate; adaxial leaf surface glabrous, deep green, shiny, lighter green and dull below; blade midrib up to 5 mm wide proximally, less than 1 mm wide distally, dull light green; venation pinnate, secondary veins brochidodromous, with 15 – 18 pairs of veins adaxially sunken, abaxially prominent; tertiary venation dense (Hickey in Metcalfe & Chalk 1979). Floral peduncle 10 – 12 mm long, glabrous, axillary, occasionally terminal, upright, dark green, wider at the proximal end. Flowers axillary, mostly solitary, flower buds upright or horizontal, intensely orange, with randomly distributed, clearly defined areas of dark-brown pigmentation, 50 – 70 mm diam., fleshy, waxy and rigid. Perules (sensu Gao et al. 2005) arranged in 2 whorls of 3 and 3, first whorl, perules unevenly triangular to amorphic, fleshy, not emarginate, persistent, pink to light green in the middle, light yellow distally, maturing to light brown, 8 – 10 × 10 – 12 mm; second whorl with 3 perules, unevenly triangular, woody, persistent, brown, pink distally, 4 – 7 × 6 – 8 mm, loosely adpressed to the first whorl. Petals distinctly concave, occasionally emarginate, orange in colour, with narrow white margins; petals arranged in two proximally joined whorls of 5 and 3; first (outer) whorl, petals 45 – 58 × 35 – 40 mm, concave, asymmetric, obovate, occasionally emarginate, petal edges asymmetric; petal striations indistinct, multiple, and of darker colour than petal, not visible abaxially; petals slightly overlapping, 3 on top, 2 partially obscured proximally; second (inner) whorl, petals 45 – 52 × 30 – 40 mm, slightly concave, asymmetric, obovate, occasionally emarginate, petal edges asymmetric; petal striations similar to first whorl; petals occasionally overlapping; yellow pigmentation present not only on the edges, but sometimes diffused throughout the petal. Stamens numerous, 120 – 150 in number, glabrous, in a circular formation, c. 40 mm diam.; filaments 40 – 50 mm long, yellow, fused at bottom third, in a circular formation proximally joined to inner petal whorl; anthers bright yellow, with 2 dark brown-black lines joining the distal and proximal ends. Style compound, distally 5-parted, fused at the base, 35 – 45 mm long, bright yellow, each end with an indistinct stigma of the same colour. Ovary superior, tomentose, 5-carpellate, each carpel not always bi-locular; gynoecium 3 – 5 × 5 – 8 mm. Fruit and seed not observed.

DISTRIBUTION. Known only from the type collection from the region of Cat Tien, Lam Dong Prov., Vietnam.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. VIETNAM. Lam Dong Prov., margem do rio Dong Nai, terra firme, 19 Dec. 2007, G. Orel, G. Richards & M. Richards & staff of Cat Tien National Park Orel 0711 (holotype NSW!; isotype NSW, HN!).

HABITAT. Camellia cattienensis occurs in unflooded, tall, subtropical rainforest, where it forms part of a dense under-story layer, enduring low light and high humidity conditions in nutrient poor soils.

CONSERVATION STATUS. The type plant was collected outside the boundaries of the Cat Tien National Park. The presence of Camellia cattienensis within the boundaries of the park could not be established, so there is no data on possible numbers or the distribution of plants there. If such plants exist within the Park, they would be well protected. Despite repeated searches (in 2007 and 2008) of the area around the type locality, no other plants were located. Given this situation, we consider the IUCN (2001) category of Data Deficient (DD) to be appropriate.

PHENOLOGY. Collected in flower in December. Fruiting and seeding period unknown.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet refers to the geographical location of the find and is derived from the name of the adjacent Cat Tien National Park.

NOTES. Camellia cattienensis possesses a number of morphological characteristics common to the member species of sect. Archaecamellia (sensu Sealy). The new species exhibits large mature leaves, similar to C. krempfii, brochidodromous secondary venation (C. pleurocarpa and C. flava), perules in two whorls (C. tonkinensis), concave and fleshy petals (C. amplexicaulis), petals in two whorls (C. petelotii), numerous stamens (C. krempfii), 5-parted style (C. flava and C. pleurocarpa) and 5-carpellate ovary (C. pleurocarpa) (Pierre 1887; Sealy 1958; Chang & Bartholomew 1984; Ho 1991; Tran 2002; Gao et al. 2005).

Camellia cattienensis also possesses a number of morphological characteristics that are common to Camellia species found in sects Piquetia and Stereocarpus. C. cattienensis, like C. piquetiana (Pierre) Sealy (sect. Piquetia), exhibits falcate leaf petioles, large mature leaves, a brochidodromous secondary leaf venation, heavily pigmented flower buds, concave, emarginated petals, numerous stamens that are fused to the inner petal whorl, a 5-parted style and a 5-carpellate ovary (Pierre 1887; Sealy 1958; Chang & Bartholomew 1984; Ho 1991; Tran 2002; Richards et al. 2002; Gao et al. 2005).

Falcate leaf petioles, large mature leaves, brochidodromous secondary venation, perules in two whorls (sensu Gao et al. 2005), concave, emarginated petals in two whorls, numerous stamens and the 5 – 6 carpellate ovary, correspond to the flower parts of Camellia dongnaiensis Orel (sect. Piquetia; Orel 2006).

Camellia cattienensi, like C. dormoyana (Pierre) Sealy (sect. Stereocarpus), possesses a brochidodromous secondary leaf venation, flower petals in two whorls, numerous stamens that are joined to the inner petal whorl, a 5 – 6 parted, but fused style and a 5-locular ovary (Sealy 1958; Chang & Bartholomew 1984; Ho 1991; Tran 2002).

The placement of Camellia cattienensis in sect. Archaecamellia is therefore deemed transitional. Possible re-classification is pending until the completion of molecular studies.

The morphology of Camellia cattienensis is distinct from Camellia species within sect. Archaecamellia (sensu Sealy). C. cattienensis is distinct from C. petelotii, the type species for sect. Archaecamellia (Sealy 1958). C. cattienensis possesses mature leaves up to 35 – 36 × 8.5 – 9 cm (not 14.5 – 18 × 4.5 – 7.5 cm; Sealy 1958), or 9 – 23 × 3 – 7.5 cm (Ming & Bartholomew 2007). The new species has leaves with 15 – 18 secondary veins (not 8 – 10 veins; Sealy 1958; Ming & Bartholomew 2007), leaf petiole 10 mm long, falcate and distinctly triangular (not 15 – 21 mm long, stout and rounded; Sealy 1958); orange flower buds with traces of dark brown pigmentation (not flower buds of uniform colour; Gao et al. 2005); flowers distinctly orange (not yellow; Gao et al. 2005), outer flower petals obovate, 45 – 58 × 35 – 40 mm (not broadly elliptic to sub-orbicular 15 – 20 × 10 – 15 mm (outer petals), or elliptic to oblong-elliptic 20 – 35 × 14 – 18 mm (inner petals); Ming & Bartholomew 2007), and a 5-parted style, 35 – 45 mm long, basally fused (not 3-parted, 1 – 20 mm long and entirely free; Sealy 1958; Ming & Bartholomew 2007).

Camellia cattienensis is also well distinguished from C. krempfii, sect. Archaecamellia, by the virtue of its provenance and also by a number of morphological characteristics. C. cattienensis is a small to medium-sized shrub to 5 m tall (not an upright tree of unspecified height; Sealy 1958), with mature leaves up to 35 – 36 × 8.5 – 9 cm (not 31 × 6.75 cm; Sealy 1958; or 32 × 7 cm; Gagnepain 1942; or 25 – 35 × 8 cm; Ho 1991). The new species has leaves with 15 – 18 veins (not 20 veins; Sealy 1958; or 12 veins; Gagnepain 1942), leaf petiole 10 mm long, falcate and distinctly triangular (not 15 mm long, very stout and rounded; Sealy 1958; or 8 mm long; Gagnepain 1942); orange flower buds with traces of dark brown pigment (not flower buds of uniform colour (Sealy 1958); flower colour distinctly orange (not white; Sealy 1958; or red; Chang & Bartholomew 1984), petals obovate, to 58 × 40 mm (not oval, rounded, or sub-orbicular, 35 × 26 mm; Sealy 1958), and styles basally fused (not entirely free; Sealy 1958).

Camellia cattienensis differs from C. amplexicaulis (sect. Archaecamellia), by its provenance and a number of morphological characteristics. The leaf bases of C. cattienensis are distinctly auriculate (not auriculate and amplexicaul; Sealy 1958, or simply amplexicaul; Gao et al. 2005). C. cattienensis lacks transitional perianth segments (present in C. amplexicaulis flowers; Sealy 1958). C. cattienensis possesses filaments, 40 – 50 mm long (not 22 mm long; Gao et al. 2005) and a 5-parted style, 35 – 45 mm long (not 3-parted, 20 – 21 mm long; Sealy 1958).

Camellia cattienensis differs from C. euphlebia (sect. Archaecamellia), in a number of key morphological characteristics. C. cattienensis has leaves with auriculate bases, up to 350 – 360 × 85 – 90 mm (not obtuse or sub-rounded 110 – 140 × 45 – 64 mm long; Sealy 1958); or cuneate to broadly cuneate 100 – 195 × 50 – 95 mm (Ming & Bartholomew 2007), orange flowers with narrow white margins (not sulphur yellow (Sealy 1958), or golden yellow (Gao et al. 2005). C. cattienensis possesses a 5-parted style, 35 – 45 mm long (not 3-parted, 37 mm long; Sealy 1958; or 3-parted c. 20 mm; Ming & Bartholomew 2007), which is basally fused (not free; Gao et al. 2005).

Vietnam: Lam Dong Province

吉仙山茶 Camellia cattienensis Orel.

仅产于越南林同省 Cat Tien 地区。

仅产于越南林同省 Cat Tien 地区。