富宁金花茶 Camellia mingii S.X.YangCamellia mingii

Camellia mingii S.X.Yang, sp. nov. (富宁金花茶), Type:—CHINA. Yunnan: Funing County, Xinhua town, on limestone in evergreen broad-leaved forest, 23°39′59″N， 105°40′35″E, elev. ca. 1100 m, 25 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5610 (holotype KUN-1347101; isotype KUN, PE).

Diagnosis: Camellia mingii is similar to C. pubipetala, but differs in its spiral arrangement of bracteoles and sepals; its lunate, reniform or broadly ovate bracteoles and sepals, puberulent inside and glabrous outside indumentum of bracteoles and sepals; its petals suborbicular, puberulent indumentum on both surfaces; and its indumentum of inner filaments puberulent to ca. 2/3 from the base.

Description: Shrubs, 2–4 m tall. Young branches cylindrical, brown to dark brown, densely spreading yellowish villous. Petiole 5–7 mm, indumentum similar to that of young branches; leaf blade thinly leathery, elliptic-ovate to narrowly ovate, (9–) 10–15(–17) x 4–6 cm, margin sparsely serrulate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate base broadly cuneate to rounded, adaxially dark green, shiny, glabrous, abaxially pale green and dark brown glandular punctuate, appressed villous but densely spreading villous along veins, secondary veins 7–10 on each side of midvein, abaxially elevated and adaxially impressed. Flowers subterminal axillary, solitary or rarely, 2-numerous in clusters, 4.5–5.5 cm in diameter; pedicel ca. 3–6 mm long or subsessile. Bracteoles 4 or 5, unequal, 1.5 x 1.5–3 x 6 mm, ovate or broadly ovate to lunate, outside light green, glabrous or midrib sparsely puberulent, inside light yellow, densely puberulent, margin ciliolate. Sepals light green, 5 or 6, broadly ovate to rounded-reniform, 5 x 10–9 x 13 mm, outside glabrous or nearly glabrous, inside light yellow and densely puberulent, margin ciliolate. Petals 12 or 13, suborbicular, golden yellow, basally connate for 1–3 mm, outer petals ca. 1.8 x 2 cm; inner petals ca. 2.7 x 3.3 cm, puberulent on both surfaces. Stamens numerous, ca. 3 cm long; outer filaments connate ca. basal 1/2, puberulent, inner filaments nearly istinct, puberulent to ca. 2/3 from base. Ovary ovoid, 3-locular, 2–3 mm in diam., light yellow, densely tomentose. Style ca. 3 cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. apex 3-lobed, cleft ca. 2–3 mm. Capsule oblate, 5–7 x 2–3 cm; 3-locular; seeds 2 or 3 per locule; pericarp ca. 5–8 mm thick; nearly glabrous, puberulent only at apex and base. Seeds brown to dark brown, hemispherical, ca. 1 cm in diam., pubescent.

Phenology:—Flowering from December to February of following year; fruiting from September to November.

Distribution, habitat and conservation status Camellia mingii is a local endemic, currently known only from Funing County, Yunnan Province, China. So far, we know of only three populations in Funing County. There are about 150 individuals at each site in the towns of Xinhua and Banlun, but there are fewer than 30 individuals in the town of Guichao. Camellia mingii is not in a conservation area and there are plausible threats because it has great commercial value. According to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2017), the category of Critically Endangered (CR) is recommended for C. mingii.

Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Tien-lu Ming, an expert of the family Theaceae.

Additional specimens examined: CHINA. Yunnan: Funing County, Xinhua town, 23°39′59″N， 105°40′35″E, elev. ca. 1100 m, 25 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5611 (KUN), 26 September 2017, S. X. Yang 5648, 5649, 5650 (KUN); Guichao town, 23°32′43″N， 105°51′28″E, elev. ca. 800 m, 26 February 2017, S. X. Yang 5612, 5613 (KUN); Banlun town, 23°39′17″N， 105°44′06″E, elev. ca. 1226 m, 6 January 2018, S. X. Yang 5679, 5681 (KUN).

Discussion Among Camellia, there are few species with a yellow corolla. Of the yellow camellias, only C. mingii and C. pubipetala are characterized by dense villous branches and abaxial leaf surface as well as a fused style (Chang 1981, 1984， 1991, 1996, Chang & Ren 1998, Chang & Zeng 1982, Chang & Bartholomew 1984, Liang 1990, Ye & Xu 1992, Ming 1999, 2000, Ming & Bartholomew 2007, Orel & Wilson 2010b, Orel et al. 2013, 2014a, Orel & Curry, 2014, Luong et al. 2016, Le et al. 2017, Nguyen et al. 2018). Our phylogenetic analysis also supports their close relationship. Morphologically, they can be distinguished from each other by the shape of the tepals and the presence of the indumentum on the tepals and filaments. The placement of the C. pubipetala has always been controversial. In Chang’s system, C. pubipetala has been placed in the C. sect. Chrysantha (Chang & Ren 1998), but in Ming’s system, it has been transferred to C. sect. Stereocarpus along with C. dormoyana Sealy (1958: 45) and C. luteoflora Y.K.Li ex H.T.Chang & F.A.Zeng (1982: 72) (Ming 2000). Given the inclusiveness of Ming’s system, we suggest that C. mingii be provisionally placed in C. sect. Stereocarpus. In the Threatened Species List of China’s Higher Plants, all species of yellow camellias are listed as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable (Qin et al. 2017). The three populations of C. mingii are near villages and are not protected. To establish small nature reserves could be a very effective measure to protect C. mingii and its limestone habitats.

富宁金花茶Camellia mingii S. X. Yang。首次在Phytotaxa 393: 52 (2019)发表。南宁市金花茶公园，2021.《国内外金花茶物种图鉴》，广西科学技术出版社，第72-73页。

灌木，高2-4米。幼枝圆柱形，棕色到深棕色，密被浅黄开展绒毛。叶柄5-7毫米，叶片薄革质，椭圆状卵形到狭卵形，10-15x 4-6厘米，边缘疏生细锯齿，先端渐尖到尾状渐尖，基部宽楔形到圆形，正面深绿色，亮，无毛，背面浅绿色和深棕色，具腺点，具贴伏长柔毛，沿脉密布长柔毛，中脉每侧的次脉7-10，背面凸起和正面凹陷。花腋生，单生，很少2至多数簇生，直径4.5-5.5厘米；花梗长约3-6毫米或近无柄。小苞片4或5，不等长，1.5 x 1.5–3 x 6毫米，卵形或宽卵形，外面浅绿色，无毛或中脉疏生微柔毛，内面浅黄色，浓密被微柔毛，边缘具缘毛。萼片浅绿色，5或6，宽卵形到圆形肾形，5 x 10–9 x 13毫米，外面无毛或近无毛，内面浅黄色和密被微柔毛，边缘具缘毛。花瓣12或13，近圆形，金黄色，基部合生1-3毫米，外轮花瓣约1.8 x 2厘米；内轮花瓣约2.7 x 3.3厘米，两面被微柔毛。雄蕊多数，长约3厘米；外部花丝合生约基部1/2，被微柔毛，内部花丝近离生，距基部约2/3被微柔毛。子房卵球形，3室，直径2-3毫米，浅黄色，密被绒毛。花柱长约3厘米，无毛或疏生短柔毛。先端3浅裂，裂约2-3毫米。蒴果扁球形，5-7 x 2-3厘米；3室；种子2或3每室；果皮约5-8毫米厚；近无毛，仅在先端和基部被微柔毛。种子棕色到深棕色，半球形，直径约1厘米，短柔毛。

产地： 云南富宁县。生于石灰岩地区的常绿阔叶林中，海拔 800-1300米。花期：12月-次年2月，果期9-11月。

词源： 为了纪念山茶科专家闵天禄（Tien-lu Ming）而命名。

云南富宁县