全 文 ：植 物 分 类 学 报 45 (5): 696–700(2007) doi:10.1360/aps06165
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica http://www.plantsystematics.com
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Received: 23 October 2006 Accepted: 20 March 2007
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant Nos. 39899400 and 30499340, and the Knowledge
Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. KSCX-SW-122.
Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang, a new species of
Rubiaceae from China
WANG Rui-Jiang
(South China Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China)
Abstract Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang is described as a new species from Guangdong, Hunan,
Jiangxi, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan provinces of China. It is most similar to H. herbacea L.
and H. pinifolia Wall. ex G. Don. because they all have narrow leaves and their capsules are
loculicidally dehiscent at the top, but it differs from H. herbacea by having termi- nal or upper
axillary cyme and narrow leaves, and it can be distinguished from H. pinifolia by having long
flowering pedicles, sparse inflorescence, and adaxially glabrous corolla.
Key words Hedyotis, Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang, Rubiaceae, new species, China.
The genus Hedyotis L. s.l. contains about 699 species in the tropical and subtropical
regions of the world (Wang & Zhao, 2001) and is one of the largest genera in Rubiaceae
(Verdcourt, 1976). In China, the genus is represented by ca. 60 species (Ko, 1999). The
inflorescence of this genus is variable, ranging from terminal or axillary simple, paniculate,
umbellate to condensed capitate cymes, usually with 4-merous flowers. Its capsules range
from globose, ovoid, or ellipsoid. Seeds are very small, angled, embedded in the central
placenta (Dutta & Deb, 2004). While examining the Hedyotis specimens at the herbarium
(IBSC), I found that some specimens previously misidentified as H. herbacea L. was
representing a species new to science.
Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang, sp. nov. Fig. 1
蕴璋耳草
Species nova similes H. herbaceae L., a qua cymis terminalibus et supra axillaribus (non
nisi axillis), foliis perangustis (0.8–1.5 mm) differt.
Herbs, ca. 17–40 cm tall, erect, glabrous, branched or unbranched. Stem gracile, diffuse,
ca. 1 mm in diam. at base, 4-angular while young and terete with growing, glabrous. Leaves
sessile, 1.4–2.5(–4.0) cm×0.8–1.5 mm, linear, acute at apex, subcoriaceous, revolute at
margin, glabrous; midrib depressed adaxially, prominent abaxially; stipules triangular, ca.1.8
×2.2–3.5 mm, with 1–3 bristles. Inflorescence terminal and upper axillary, 4–12 flowered,
composed by solitary flower or 2–3 flowered cyme, lax panicles or cymes. Flowers 4.5–5 mm
long; pedicel slender, 1.5–2 cm long; calyx tube 1–1.5 mm long; calyx lobes 4, triangular,
1.2–1.7 mm long, ca. 0.6 mm wide at base, with bristles at margin. Corolla white, glabrous in
both sides; corolla tube cylindric, 1.8–2.3 mm long, ca. 1.2 mm in diam., corolla lobes 4,
oblong to lanceolate, 0.9–1.2 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide. Stamens 4, exserted; filaments ca.
0.6 mm long, adnate to sinus of corolla lobes; anthers oblong, ca. 0.4 mm long; style slender,
capillary, 2.4–3 mm long, stigma bilobed, ca. 1 mm long, papillose. Ovary ca. 1 mm long;
ovules many, embedded on ovoid placenta. Capsule subcrustaceous, ovate or subglobose,
2.5–3 mm in diam., with 1.2–1.8 mm long persistent calyx limbs, glabrous, dehiscent
loculicidally at top when mature. Seeds many, angular, ca. 0.5 mm long, brownish or black,
exotesta reticulate. Fl. & Fr. Jun. –Sept. (Fig. 2: A–G).
No. 5 WANG: Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang, a new species of Rubiaceae from China 697


Fig. 1. Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang. Drawn by H. P. Yu from B. H. Chen 524, holotype, IBSC.
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45 698





































Fig. 2. Morphological characters of Hedyotis koana (A–G), H. herbacea (H), and H. pinifolia (I). A, B, Leaf stipules.
C, Corolla (adaxial side). D, Style and stigma. E, Flowering calyx (abaxial side). F, Seeds (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial
side). G, Capsule. H, Flower (from B. H. Chen 392, IBSC). I, Corolla (adaxial side), showing the hairs adnate at the middle
(from C. Wang 42069, IBSC).
Scale bars: A, B, C, D, F=0.5 mm; E=0.2 mm; G, I=1 mm; H=1.5 mm.
No. 5 WANG: Hedyotis koana R. J. Wang, a new species of Rubiaceae from China 699
China. Guangdong (广东): Huidong (惠东), Gangkou (港口), Pingshizhou Island (坪仕
洲岛), seashore, in weeds, 1990-08-12, B. H. Chen (陈炳辉) 524 (holotype, IBSC).
Additional speciemens examined:
China. Fujian (福建): Without precise locality, 1943-08-20, R. Lin (林镕) 2451 (fl. & fr.) (IBSC).
Guangdong (广东): Haikang (海康), Bangtan (邦潭), 1929-06-03, Y. Jiang (蒋英) 2568 (fl. & fr.) (IBSC);
Lechang (乐昌), Pingshi (坪石), Chetianba (车田坝), in weeds, 1942-08-20, S. H. Chun (陈少卿) 2233 (fr.)
(IBSC). Guangxi (广西): Guilin (桂林), Liangfeng (良丰), in plain, 1948-06-10, L. H. Chen (陈立卿)
900180 (fl. & fr.) (IBSC). Hainan (海南): road from Xinglong to reservoir, Taiyang River (太阳河), in
valley, common, 1960-06-18, Hainan Working Station (海南工作站) 712 (fr.) (IBSC). Hunan (湖南):
Yizhang (宜章), alt. 100 m, 1942-06-04, S. H. Chun (陈少卿) 1218 (fl. & fr.) (IBSC). Jiangxi (江西):
Nanchang (南昌), Liantang (莲塘), 1951-09-28, X. X. Yang (杨祥学) 11066 (fr.) (IBSC); Chongren (崇仁),
in forest, 1932-07-06, Y. Jiang (蒋英) 10178 (fr.) (IBSC).
This species belongs to the sect. Oldenlandia because its capsules dehisce only
loculicidally at top. The sessile and narrow leaves and slender flowering pedicels resemble H.
herbacea L., but the new species is characterized by having terminal and upper axillary cyme
and linear leaves. It differs from H. pinifolia Wall. ex G. Don by having obvious long
pedicels, sparse inflorescence and adaxially hairy corolla tubes (Table 1). From the
geographical distribution map of these three taxa in Asia (Fig. 3), we can find that H. koana is
distributed in south and southern East China; however, the other two broadly grows in tropical
and subtropical Asia. Moreover, H. herbacea also grows in tropical Africa.

Table 1 Diagnostic characters of Hedyotis koana, H. herbacea and H. pinifolia
Characters H. koana H. herbacea H. pinifolia
Leaf width (mm) 0.8–1.5 1–3(–5) 2–3
Inflorescence position terminal or upper axillary axillary terminal or upper axillary
Flower no. per inflorescence 1–3 1 3–10
Pedicel length (mm) 15–20 6–22(–30) 0.5–1
Corolla (adaxial side) glabrous glabrous pubescent near base of filaments
Capsule indumentum glabrous glabrous hispid



Fig. 3. Geographical distribution of Hedyotis koana, H. herbacea and H. pinifolia in Asia.

Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45 700
This species is named after KO Wan-Chang (GAO Yun-Zhang), who has done much
taxonomic research on Chinese Hedyotis.
References
Dutta R, Deb D B. 2004. Taxonomic revision of Hedyotis L. (Rubiaceae) in Indian subcontinent. Kolkata:
Botanical survey of India.
Ko W-C (高蕴璋). 1999. Hedyotis Linn. In: Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (中国植物志). Beijing:
Science Press. 71 (1): 26–77.
Verdcourt B. 1976. Rubiaceae (part 1). In: Polhill R M ed. Flora of Tropical East Africa. London: Crown
agents for oversea governments and administrations. 268–315.
Wang R-J (王瑞江), Zhao N-X (赵南先). 2001. The origin and distribution on genus Hedyotis L. Journal of
Tropical and Subtropical Botany (热带亚热带植物学报) 9: 219–228.
国产耳草属(茜草科)一新种——蕴璋耳草
王瑞江
(中国科学院华南植物园 广州 510650)

摘要 报道了中国茜草科Rubiaceae耳草属耳草组Hedyotis sect. Hedyotis植物的一个新种——蕴璋耳草
H. koana R. J. Wang。本新种同丹草H. herbacea L.和松叶耳草H. pinifolia Wall. ex G. Don因均具有较窄的
叶片和仅顶部开裂的蒴果而相似, 但本种因具线形的叶片以及顶生和上部腋生的聚伞花序而不同于丹
草, 与松叶耳草的不同之处在于蕴璋耳草具有较长的花梗和疏松的花序以及花冠管内部无毛。
关键词 耳草属; 蕴璋耳草; 茜草科; 新种; 中国