毛花金花茶 Camellia piloflora S.X.YangCamellia piloflora

Camellia piloflora S.X.Yang in Phytotaxa 574: 179 (2022).Type:CHINA. Guangxi: Debao County, in limestone tiankeng, elev. 400 m, 21 January 2022, S.X. Yang 6868 (holotype KUN1541642; isotypes KUN1544968, K).

Diagnosis:Camellia piloflora is most similar to C. debaoensis R.C. Hu & Y.Q. Liufu, but differs by its sepals puberulent abaxially (vs.glabrous), ovary and styles tomentose (vs. glabrous), filaments pubescent (vs. glabrous) and the outer filaments united for 1/2 (vs.1/4) of their length from the base.

Plant: Shrubs, 2−5 m tall; young branches yellowish brown or brown, glabrous, rarely subglabrous; terminal buds glabrous, rarely subglabrous. Leaves alternate; petiole 0.6–1.2 cm long, glabrous, rarely subglabrous; blade elliptic to oblong, 7–11 × 3.5–5.5 cm, thinly leathery, purplish red when young, adaxially dark green and glabrous, shiny, abaxially pale green, sparsely pubescent along midvein and scattered dark brown cork-warts, lateral veins 7−9 pairs, apex acuminate to caudate, margin shallowly serrate with the teeth 1.0−2.0 mm apart, base cuneate to broadly cuneate. Flowers subterminal or axillary, solitary or rarely 2−4 in clusters, 5.5–6.0 cm in diam. Pedicel ca. 2.0–5.0 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles 4–5, yellowish-green, unequal, 1.0–3.0 × 2.0–4.0 mm, obtuse triangle, lunate to semiorbicular, lowermost bracteoles glabrous on both sides, uppermost ones pubescent on both sides, similar to sepals, margin ciliolate. Sepals 5 (–6), yellowish-green, semiorbicular, round-reniform to suborbicular, 6.0−10.0 × 8.0−14.0 mm, pubescent on both surfaces, margin narrow scarious and ciliate. Petals 8–10, in three whorls, pale yellow, orbicular to elliptic, 2.2−4.5 × 2.2−3.5 cm, pubescent on both surfaces, basally connate to each other and to the stamens for 7–10 mm. Stamens numerous, ca. 3.5 cm long, in 4−5 whorls, filament of the outer whorls basally connate into a tube for ca. 1/2 of the length, outside of the tube and base of the free part of filaments pubescent, filaments of the innermost whorl free, pubescent almost all their length. Ovary ovoid, ca. 6 mm in diam, densely pale yellow tomentose, 3 (–4)-loculed; styles single, 2.6 cm long, apically dividing into 3 (–4) arms of ca. 3–4 mm, basally 3/4 pubescent. Capsule oblate, yellowish green, ca. 6.0 cm in diam, pubescent, with 2 seeds per locule; pericarp ca. 1.0–2.0 mm thick when dry, splitting into 3 valves. Seeds dark brown, hemispherical or cuneate, pubescent.

Phenology: Flowering from January to February; fruiting from September to October. 

Etymology:The specific epithet is derived from Latin, “pilus”, meaning a hair, and “flos”, meaning flower, to referring that the new species has hairy flowers, especially on sepals, petals, stamens and pistils.

Distribution, habitat, and conservation status:Camellia piloflora grows in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of limestone hills at elevation of 400–650 m. Only three populations with less than 100 individuals have been found in and near its type locality. Due to the great commercial value, the number of this species may continue to shrink. The location of this species is not the natural reserve, thus can be destroyed by human activity. The area of occupancy is less than 10 km2 (B2a) with three populations, and the area, extent and/or quality of habitat, and number of mature individuals are declined in future. Therefore, the new species is accessed to Critically Endangered (CR, B2ab (iii, v)), according to Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2019).

CHINA. Guangxi: Debao County

毛花金花茶 Camellia piloflora S.X.Yang in Phytotaxa 574: 179 (2022）。产广西德保县。与 德保金花茶（C. debaoensis） 最相似，但不同之处在于萼片背面被微柔毛（vs.无毛），子房和花柱被绒毛（vs.无毛），花丝被短柔毛（vs.无毛），外花丝从基部开始合生达 1/2（vs.1/4）长。

灌木，高2-5米；幼枝黄棕色或棕色，无毛，鲜见近无毛；顶芽无毛，很少近无毛。叶互生；叶柄长 0.6-1.2 厘米，无毛，鲜见近无毛；叶片椭圆形至长圆形， 7-11 x 3.5-5. 5厘米，薄革质，幼时紫红色，正面深绿色无毛，有光泽，背面苍绿色，沿中脉疏生短柔毛，散生暗褐色木栓疣，侧脉7-9对，先端渐尖至尾状，边缘有浅锯齿，齿距1.0-2.0毫米，基部楔形至宽楔形。花近顶生或腋生，单生或很少 2-4 朵簇生，直径 5.5-6.0 厘米。花梗长约 2.0-5.0 毫米，无毛。小苞片4-5，黄绿色，不等长， 1.0-3.0 x 2.0-4.0 毫米，钝三角形，新月形到半圆形，最下部的小苞片两面无毛，最上部的两面被短柔毛，与萼片相似，边缘具短缘毛。萼片 5(-6），黄绿色，半圆形，圆形肾形到近圆形， 6.0-10.0 x 8.0-14.0 毫米，两面具短柔毛，边缘狭干膜质并具缘毛。花瓣 8-10 ，三轮，淡黄色，圆形到椭圆形， 2.2-4.5 x 2.2-3.5 厘米，两面具短柔毛，基部相互合生，与雄蕊合生达 7-10 毫米。雄蕊多数，长约 3.5 厘米，4-5 轮，外轮的花丝基部合生成筒状，长约 1/2，在花丝外侧。最内轮的花丝离生，几乎全长被短柔毛。子房卵球形，直径约 6 毫米，密被淡黄色绒毛，3（-4）室；花柱单生，长 2.6 厘米，顶部3(-4)分裂，长约 3-4 毫米，基部被 3/4 短柔毛。蒴果扁球形，黄绿色，直径约 6.0 厘米，被短柔毛，每室有 2 粒种子；果皮干燥时厚约 1.0-2.0 毫米，裂成 3 瓣。种子暗褐色，半球形或楔形，具短柔毛。

花期： 花期 1 月至 2 月；果期 9 月至 10 月。

词源：种加词来自拉丁文，“pilus ”意为毛被，“flos ”意为花朵，指该新种的花朵有毛，尤其在萼片、花瓣、雄蕊和雌蕊上。

分布、栖息地和保护现状：山茶花生长在海拔 400-650 米的石灰岩丘陵常绿阔叶林中。由于其巨大的商业价值，该物种的数量可能会继续减少。该物种的所在地并非自然保护区，因此可能会遭到人类活动的破坏。该物种的栖息地面积不足 10 平方公里（B2a），有三个种群，其栖息地的面积、范围和/或质量以及成熟个体的数量在未来都可能会下降。因此，根据《世界自然保护联盟红色名录类别和标准使用指南》（2019 ），该新物种被列为极危物种（CR，B2ab (iii, v)）。

广西德保县