全 文 ：热带亚热带植物学报　2013， 21(4)： 339~342
Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany
Received： 2012–11–01　　　　Accepted： 2013–01–04
TONG Yi-hua (1986 ~ ), male, PhD student, research in the taxonomy of Ericaceae. E-mail: yh-tong@scbg.ac.cn
* Corresponding author. E-mail: nhxia@scib.ac.cn
Vaccinium L., consisting of ca. 450 species[1],
is the largest genus in Vaccinioideae, Ericaceae. It is
mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, but
most species are found in tropical Asia. Morphologic
diversification in Vaccinium is so remarkable that
many specimens of other genera are often misidentified
as Vaccinium species, especially Gaultheria. Although
Gaultheria resembles Vaccinium in appearance, it is easy
to distinguish it from the latter by having 2 – 4 awned
anthers and a superior or semi-inferior ovary, while
Vaccinium has anthers without awns and an inferior
ovary.
Vaccinium wardii Adamson was described by
Adamson[2] based on a collection from Kangding
County, Sichuan Province, China, with the protologue
as follows: suffrutex; caules basi decumbentes,
radicantes, supra ramosi pilis vel setis longis rigidisque
tenuiter tecti; folii lanceolati, coriacei, serrati, breviter
petiolati, apice acuti basi plerumque cuneati, venis
infra prominentibus supraque valleculosis, infra
et in petiolis pilis similibus caulibus tecti, superne
glabri; inflorescentia ramosa, axillaria pilis brevibus
mollibusque intecta; flores pedicellati; bracteae at
bracteoli conspicue persistentes, flores fere aequantes;
flores parvi rubri; calyx dimidio corollae brevior; corolla
purpurea subglobosa. Sleumer[3] then merged V. wardii
with V. fragile Franch. according to the description,
but he stated that he did not see the type specimen of
V. wardii. Later, Sleumer’s treatment was followed
in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae and Flora of
China[4–5].
However, after careful examination of the
specimens, it turns out that V. wardii and V. fragile
are totally different species (Figs. 1, 2). According to
杜鹃花科Vaccinium wardii Adamson的订正
童毅华1,2, 夏念和1*
(1. 中国科学院华南植物园，中国科学院植物资源保护与可持续利用重点实验室，广州 510650； 2. 中国科学院大学，北京 100049)
摘要： 通过对模式标本和原始文献的研究，确认 Vaccinium wardii Adamson 是红粉白珠(Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke)的异名，
而不是乌鸦果(Vaccinium fragile Franch.)的异名。
关键词： Vaccinium wardii Adamson； 红粉白珠； 新异名
doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1005–3395.2013.04.007
Critical Notes on Vaccinium wardii Adamson (Ericaceae)
TONG Yi-hua1,2, XIA Nian-he1*
(1. Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Guangzhou 510650, China; 2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)
Abstract: Based on the study of type specimens and protologues, Vaccinium wardii Adamson is treated as a
synonym of Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke, instead of Vaccinium fragile Franch.
Key words: Vaccinium wardii Adamson; Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke; New synonym
340 第21卷热带亚热带植物学报
Fig. 1 Isotype of Vaccinium wardii Adamson
the type specimen of V. wardii, we found some more
important characters that Adamson did not mention: leaf
blade 3 – 6.3 cm × 1.4 – 2.6 cm, secondary veins ca.
4 pairs, secondary and fine veins slightly impressed
adaxially, raised abaxially; anthers 2-awned; ovary
superior, puberulous. The 2-awned anthers and the
superior ovary sufficiently indicated that this species
should be a member of Gaultheria. Further comparison
work demonstrated that V. wardii is identical to
Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke, which is a common
species in Sichuan, China. They both have hirsute
branches, elliptic leaves, pubescent racemes, large
bracts and ovate not acute calyx lobes. The leaf base
of the isotype of V. wardii is cuneate while it is round
in the lectotype of G. hookeri, but it is an unstable
character. The hirsute branch is the key character to
separate G. hookeri from other Gaultheria species,
which is shown on the type specimens of the two
species.
Thus, according to Art. 11.4 of the ‘International
Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants
(Melbourne Code)’[6], the subsequent name Vaccinium
第4期 341
Fig. 2 Lectotype of Vaccinium fragile Franch.
童毅华等：杜鹃花科Vaccinium wardii Adamson的订正
wardii Adamson should be reduced to the synonym of
Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke:
Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke in J. D. Hooker,
Fl. Brit. India 3: 458. 1882. Lectotype: India. Sikkim:
Lachen, 10000 – 11000 ft., 2 August 1849, J. D. Hooker
s. n. [K, image catalogue number K00442396 (Fig. 3)].
Vaccinium wardii Adamson in J. Bot. 51(4): 130.
1913, syn. nov. Type: China. Sichuan: Kangding,
8000 ft., 12 June 1910, Frank Kingdon-Ward, s.n.
(holotype: CGE? isotype: E, image catalogue number
E00438124).
Additional specimens examined: China. Sichuan:
without precise locality, Anonymous 3916, F. T.
Wang 20983, K. L. Chu 2970, T. T. Yu 1978, W. P.
Fang 8239; Baoxing County, K. L. Chu 3082; Luding
County, G. R. Xu 23262, 23481, H. L. Tsiang 34096,
34180, H. L. Tsiang & T. H. Hsiung 37721, Z. A. Liu
22302; Shimian County, C. C. Hsieh 39772, 39852,
39884, 39924, 40080, 40105, 40383, 41108, 41146;
Tianquan County, H. L. Tsiang 35377, H. L. Tsiang
& T. H. Hsiung 34255, K. L. Chu 2544, Y. B. Yang
40051. (All the cited specimens are preserved in IBSC).
342 第21卷热带亚热带植物学报
Acknowledgements　　We are indebted to the curators of
Herbaria E, K, P and IBSC for their help during our studies.
References
[1]　 Mabberley D J. The Plant Book [M]. 2nd ed. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1997: 1–769.
[2]　 Adamson R S. Plants from Western China [J]. J Bot, 1913, 51(4):
129–131.
[3]　 Sleumer O H. Vaccinioideen-Studien [J]. Bot Jahrb Syst, 1941,
71(4): 24–510.(in German)
[4]　 Fang R C. Vaccinium [M]// Fang R C. Flora Reipublicae
Popularis Sinicae, Tomus 57(3). Beijing: Science Press, 1991:
75–164.(in Chinese)
[5]　 Fang R C, Stevens P F. Vaccinium [M]// Wu Z Y, Raven P H.
Flora of China, Volume 14. Beijing: Science Press & St. Louis:
Missouri Botanical Garden Press, 2005: 476–504.
[6]　 McNeill J, Barrie F R, Burdet H M, et al. International Code of
Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants (Melbourne Code)
Adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress
Melbourne, Australia, July 2011. Regnum Vegetabile 154. [M].
Ruggell: A. R. G. Gantner Verlag, 2012.
Fig. 3 Lectotype of Gaultheria hookeri C. B. Clarke