全 文 ：植 物 分 类 学 报 44 (6): 651–653(2006) doi:10.1360/aps050097
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica http://www.plantsystematics.com
———————————
Received: 27 June 2005 Accepted: 25 July 2006
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No. 30370107.
The identity of Bauhinia claviflora and of
B. dioscoreifolia (Leguminosae)
1ZHANG Dian-Xiang 2ZHU Guang-Hua
1 (South China Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China)
2 (Missouri Botanical Garden, P. O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299, U.S.A.)
Abstract The taxonomic status of two long recognized endemic Chinese species of the genus
Bauhinia is clarified as part of our endeavor to prepare the manuscript of Caesalpinioideae for
Flora of China. Bauhinia claviflora L. Chen and B. dioscoreifolia L. Chen are reduced to
synonymy of B. nervosa (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker and B. khasiana Baker respectively.
Key words Bauhinia, Bauhinia claviflora, Bauhinia dioscoreifolia, new synonymy,
nomenclature.
In Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae, Chen (1988) recognized 42 species of Bauhinia
L. in China. Subsequently, several new species have been described (Zhang, 1993; Zhang &
Chen, 1998; Larsen, 1999). In revising the genus for Flora of China, we found that two
Bauhinia species long recognized as endemic to China, B. claviflora L. Chen and B.
dioscoreifolia L. Chen, are in fact conspecific with B. nervosa (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker and B.
khasiana Baker respectively, two species widespread in tropical Asia. Thus a formal
reduction of these names is proposed.
1. Bauhinia nervosa (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 283. 1878; D. X.
Zhang in Nordic J. Bot. 13: 402. 1993.——Phanera nervosa Wall. ex Benth. in Miq., Pl.
Jungh. 262. 1852. Type: Bangladesh. Sylhet: Without precise locality, Wallich 5777
(holotype, K!).
Bauhinia claviflora L. Chen in J. Arn. Arb. 20: 437. 1939, syn. nov. Type: China.
Yunnan (云南): Xishuangbanna (西双版纳), Jinghong (景洪), Damenglong (大勐龙),
Mengsong (勐宋), alt. 1800 m, 1936-09, C. W. Wang (王启无) 78485 (holotype, A?; isotype,
PE!).
Chen (1939) described B. claviflora based on a collection, C. W. Wang 78485, from
Mengsong, Damenglong, Jinghong County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. Although the
holotype was presumably deposited in Harvard University (A) where most of Luetta Chen’s
types were found, we have not been able to locate it while visiting the Harvard herbaria.
Wu (1984) accepted both B. claviflora and B. griffithiana (Benth.) Prain on the basis of
the same collection (C. W. Wang 78485, PE), resulting in the acceptance of both names by
local botanists (i.e., A Checklist of the Species in Xishuangbanna). And very often, the local
botanists refer the specimens of B. glauca (Benth.) Benth. ssp. tenuiflora (Watt. ex C. B.
Clarke) K. Larsen & S. S. Larsen to B. claviflora in the herbarium HITBC.
Recently, an unidentified flowering specimen collected in 1978 from the type locality of
B. claviflora (G. D. Tao 19843) caught the attention of the senior author and was
subsequently identified as B. nervosa (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker, a species widely distributed
from India, Myanmar and Thailand (Larsen & Larsen, 1984) to China (Zhang, 1993).
Examination of the isotype of B. claviflora and the specimens from its type locality, and
the field study of the habit and habitat of the plant have confirmed our previous suspicion that
they are all conspecific with B. nervosa. Therefore, we reduce B. claviflora to synonymy of
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 44

652
B. nervosa.
Additional specimens examined:
China. Yunnan (云南): Xishuangbanna (西双版纳), Jinghong (景洪), Damenglong (大勐龙),
Mengsong (勐宋), alt. 1580 m, G. D. Tao et al. (陶国达等) 19843 (HITBC); the same locality, 21°29′49.4″
N, 100°32′49.3″ E, alt. 1600 m, D. X. Zhang (张奠湘) 1038 (IBSC).
2. Bauhinia khasiana Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 281. 1878; Chen in Fl. Reip. Pop.
Sin. 39: 184. 1988. Type: India. Mt. Khasia: Hooker & Thomson s.n. (holotype, K!; isotype,
U!).
Bauhinia dioscoreifolia L. Chen in J. Arn. Arb. 20: 438. 1939; Chen in Fl. Reip. Pop.
Sin. 39: 203. 1988, syn. nov. Type: China. Hainan (海南): Kumyun (东方(感恩)), S. K. Lau
(刘心祈) 27852 (mistakenly 27552 in protologue, 27552 is not a legume specimen) (holotype,
A!; isotype, IBSC!).
Chen (1939) in her protologue claimed that B. dioscoreifolia was somewhat similar to B.
erythropoda Hayata, although she cautioned that if the flower of B. dioscoreifolia was
available, it might prove to be not at all closely related.
Subsequently, botanists (Chun, 1965; Chen, 1988; Wu, 1994) all recognized B.
dioscoreifolia as an endemic species to Hainan, although no additional collection was made.
Upon our field observations on the habit and habitat, and from our observation by
cultivating B. khasiana, we found that the bifoliate leaves with conspicuous veins, characters
thought to be unique to B. dioscoreifolia, are typical of leaves on juvenile branches of B.
khasiana, a species common to the region. After a careful study of the type specimens, we
think that the specimens were a combination of sterile juvenile branches and artificially
attached pods, although both of B. khasiana (not clear!). Bauhinia dioscoreifolia is thus
reduced to synonymy of B. khasiana. Several names had already been reduced to synonymy
of this species previously (Larsen & Larsen, 1980, 1984; Chen, 1988).
Acknowledgements We are indebted to Mr. Jing-Yun CUI (Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences) for assistance during the field work and
Dr. Nicolas TURLAND (MO) for critical comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript.
References
Chen L. 1939. Notes on Chinese Bauhinia with description of three new species. Journal of the Arnold
Arboretum 20: 437–439.
Chen T-C (陈德昭). 1988. Bauhinia L. In: Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (中国植物志). Beijing:
Science Press. 39: 145–203.
Chun W-Y (陈焕镛). 1965. Bauhinia L. In: Flora Hainanica (海南植物志). Vol. 2. Beijing: Science Press.
Larsen K, Larsen S S. 1980. Bauhinia L. In: Aubréville A, Leroy J-F eds. Flora du Cambodge, du Laos, et du
Viĕt-Nam. Muséum National dHistoire Naturelle 18: 146–210.
Larsen K, Larsen S S. 1984. Bauhinia L. In: Smitinand T, Larsen K eds. Flora of Thailand. Bangkok: The Tistr
Press. 4 (1): 4–45.
Larsen S S. 1999. Bauhinia wuzhengyii (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae), a new Chinese species. Novon 9:
526–529.
Wu C Y (吴征镒) ed. 1984. Index Florae Yunnanensis (云南植物名录). 1. Kunming: The People’s Publishing
House of Yunnan.
Wu T-L (吴德邻). 1994. A checklist of Flowering Plants of Islands and Reefs of Hainan and Guangdong
Provinces (广东及海南沿海岛屿植物名录). Beijing: Science Press.
Zhang D X. 1993. Some additional taxa of Bauhinia (Leguminosae) from China. Nordic Journal of Botany 13:
399–402.
Zhang D X, Chen T. 1998. Three new taxa of Bauhinia L. (Leguminosae) from China. Nordic Journal of
Botany 18: 141–145.
No. 6 ZHANG and ZHU: The identity of Bauhinia claviflora and of B. dioscoreifolia

653
棒花羊蹄甲和薯叶藤的学名订正
1张奠湘 2朱光华
1(中国科学院华南植物园 广州 510650)
2(密苏里植物园 圣路易斯63166-0299 美国)

摘要 分布于云南西双版纳的棒花羊蹄甲Bauhinia claviflora L. Chen和海南的薯叶藤B. dioscoreifolia L.
Chen长期被认为是国产特有种植物，实际上分别是广泛分布的缅甸羊蹄甲B. nervosa (Wall. ex Benth.)
Baker和牛蹄麻B. khasiana Baker。作者依命名法予以归并。
关键词 羊蹄甲属; 棒花羊蹄甲; 薯叶藤; 新异名; 命名法