云南管蕊茶 Camellia luteocalpandria S.X.Yang & E.D.LiuCamellia luteocalpandria

Camellia luteocalpandria S.X.Yang & E.D.Liu. First published in Phytotaxa 489 (2): 223–228 (2021). A new species is described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. This is the first discovery of Camellia sect. Calpandria in China. It can be easily distinguished from the other two species in the section by its yellow flower, bracteoles and sepals glabrous adaxially, and the filament 1-whorled and all united without free or partly united filament inside the tube. The new species is assessed to be Critically Endangered (CR) according to IUCN categories and criteria.

Type:—CHINA. Yunnan: Malipo Xian, in the riverside forest, elev. 600 m, 18 October 2020, S. X. Yang, E. D. Liu, W Fang, J. Zou & C. H. Wang 6415 (holotype KUN [KUN1498270]; isotypes AA, K, KUN, P, PE).

【Description】Evergreen shrubs or small trees, 3.0–4.0 m high. Terminal buds densely grayish yellow hirsute; young branches cylindrical, densely spreading grayish yellow villous, villous dimorphic in length, 2.5–3.0 mm long and 0.5–1.0 mm long. Petioles 1.0–2.0 mm long, villous similar to young branch; leaf blades purplish red when young, mature ones papery, oblong, 7.0–10.0 × 2.5–3.5 cm, apex acuminate to caudate, often curved to one side, margin serrate, base round or slightly cordate, adaxially dark green, shining, green brown after drying, almost not shining, densely villous like young branches along midvein, the rest glabrous but dense tuberculate, abaxially yellowish green, brown yellow after drying, villous like young branches with indumentum more dense along midribs and lateral vein, also dense tuberculate, midrib slightly sunken adaxially and protruding abaxially, lateral veins 7–10 pairs, flat or slightly sunken adaxially, protruding abaxially, tertiary veins are slightly obvious adaxially and obvious abaxially. Flowers solitary or rarely geminate in the axilla of the upper leaves, yellow, 1.5–2.0 cm in diam. Pedicels 1.0–2.0 mm long, sparsely grayish yellow pubescent. Bracteoles 2, or rarely 3, usually on the upper part of the pedicel and close to sepals, occasionally on the middle and lower part of the pedicel, triangular-ovate, 1.0–1.5 × 1.0–1.5 mm, abaxially grayish yellow pubescent, adaxially glabrous, margin narrow scarious and ciliate. Sepals 4–6, ovate, suborbicular to oblong, increasing in size upwards, 2.0–4.0 × 2.0–3.0 mm, indumentum similar to bracteoles, but abaxially pubescence less and concentrating to the middle and upper part, margin narrowly scarious and ciliate, and the innermost transitional to petals. Petals 6–8, 2-whorls, oblong, 5.0–6.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm, both sides glabrous, basally connate for 1.0−2.0 mm. Stamens 7–8(–12), 1- whorled; filaments all united for their whole length to form a drum-shaped fleshy tube, tube ca. 4.0 mm long and ca. 4.0 mm in diam., both sides glabrous, basal 1/2 adnate to the corolla, shallowly dentate at the apex, each tooth bearing an anther. Gynoecium ca. 4.0 mm long; ovary globose, 3-loculed, densely grayish-yellow pubescent; style ca. 2.0 mm long, basal 1/2 pubescent, apex 3-lobed. Fruit oblate or subglobose, apex obtuse or beak acute, 1.0–1.5 cm in diam, mature fruit 3 valves dehiscent, pericarp very thin less than 1.0 mm thick. Seeds hemispherical or subglobose, 8–9 mm in diam, dark brown, densely reddish brown pubescence. Fl. Oct.–Dec., fr. Sep.–Oct. 

 Camellia luteocalpandria is only found from its type locality, growing in the evergreen broad-leaved forests in the riverside at altitude of 600 meter. Its fertility rate is very low and very few fruits can be found. So far, only one population and less than 30 individuals are known. This area has not yet been protected, and there are plausible threats because it has great commercial value. Therefore, C. luteocalpandria is accessed to be Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019) criteria D1 (number of mature individuals less than 50).

云南管蕊茶（Camellia luteocalpandria S. X. Yang & E. D. Liu）.Phytotaxa 489: 224 (2021). 管蕊茶组是山茶属中形态最为奇特、被认为是演化水平最高的一个组，以其雄蕊的外轮花丝高度合生成一肉质花丝管为主要特征，其前身是管蕊茶属，1859年被归入山茶属。云南管蕊茶雄蕊花丝完全合生成一根肥厚的花丝管，可以确定是管蕊茶组成员 。其形态特征：黄色小花、枝叶密被有开张长毛，花雄蕊仅有1轮，且花丝管内没有离生或不同程度离生的雄蕊，这与已有的两种管蕊茶物种存在显著差别，因而被确定为云南管蕊茶新种。云南管蕊茶具有重要的园艺价值，是极为重要的生物遗传资源。在云南省文山州麻栗坡县有发现，数量仅有30株左右，十分稀少，急需保护。产云南麻栗坡县水边森林，海拔600米。

产云南麻栗坡县水边森林，海拔600米。