全 文 ：热带亚热带植物学报 2016, 24(4): 413 ~ 425
Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany

Recieved: 2015–01–30 Accepted: 2015–03–27
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31470303) and the Science and Technology Basic Work (Grant No.
2013FY112100).
* Corresponding author. E-mail: qeyang@scib.ac.cn




中国毛茛科翠雀属的分类学研究(十一)：巴唐翠雀
花二新异名

袁琼，杨亲二*
(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)

摘要：毛茛科巴塘翠雀花(Delphinium batangense Finet & Gagnep.)是我国四川西部和云南西北部一种较广布的高山植物, 形态
变异颇大。标本室和野外观察表明白缘翠雀花(D. chenii W. T. Wang)和雅江翠雀花(D. yajiangense W. T. Wang)在形态上处于该
种的变异范围之内，故将二者均处理为巴塘翠雀花的异名。
关键词：毛茛科；翠雀属；分类学
doi: 10.11926/j.issn.1005-3395.2016.04.008

Taxonomic Studies on the Genus Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) from China
(XI): Two New Synonyms of D. batangense

YUAN Qiong, YANG Qin-er*
(Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou
510650, China)

Abstract: Delphinium batangense Finet & Gagnep. (Ranunculaceae) is an alpine species widely distributed in
western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan, China, and highly variable morphologically. Examination of both
herbarium specimens and living plants has shown that D. chenii W. T. Wang and D. yajiangense W. T. Wang fall
within the variation range of D. batangense. Therefore, D. chenii and D. yajiangense are both placed in synonymy
with D. batangense herein.
Key words: Delphinium; Ranunculaceae; Taxonomy

Delphinium batangense Finet & Gagnep.
(Ranunculaceae) was described by Finet and
Gagnepain[1] in 1904 on the basis of four collections, J.
A. Soulié 3040 (P; Fig. 1: A), 3041 (P; Fig. 1: B),
3042 bis (P; Fig. 1: C, D), and 3043 (P; Fig. 2), from
Batang, western Sichuan, China. Another seven
collections from the same area, J. A. Soulié 3042 (P),
3898 (P; Fig. 3: A), 3899 (P; Fig. 3: B), 3901 (P),
3905 (P), 3906 (P; Fig. 3: C, D), and 3907 (P),
undoubtedly also all belong to the species, although
Finet and Gagnepain did not cite them. From these
specimens it can be easily seen that D. batangense is
highly variable in stature and in the degree of leaf
division. The stems are semi-procumbent or erect,
ranging from ca. 10–50 cm in height. Leaves are
3-parted to base or almost so into obcuneate parts,
these deeply cut or dentate, with lanceolate-oblong
lacininae 2–5 mm wide and obtuse at apex. Closer
examination of these specimens and recent collections,
together with our observations in the field, shows that
the shape and position of bracteoles are also not stable
within and between populations in the species. The
414 热带亚热带植物学报 第 24 卷

bracteoles are undivided, linear or oblong, or 2–5-
lobate, positioned variously on the pedicels from
subtending the flower to being distant from it (Fig. 4).
The degree of hairiness on the stems is also variable in
the species. The stems are sparsely or densely
appressed pubescent, but often glabrescent, parti-
cularly so in the median part of robust individuals.
The pedicels, however, are always densely pubescent.
In the protologue of D. batangense, Fine and
Gagnepain did not note the color of staminodes, one
of the most important characters for the classification
of the genus Delphinium L. As a result, they compared
the species with D. likiangense Franch., in which the
staminodes are blue. The staminodes of D. batangense
are usually black, although sometimes blue at margin
(Fig. 5). In fact, the two species are morphologically
very readily distinguishable from each other. Wang[2]
in 1979 placed D. batangense into subsection
Subumbellata Huth under section Elatopsis Huth but
D. likiangense into subsection Ceratophora W. T.
Wang under section Delphinastrum DC. Species in the
former section have black staminodes, whereas those
in the latter have blue staminodes.
In 1957, Wang[3] described Delphinium pulcher-
rimum W. T. Wang on the basis of two collections, T. T.
Yu 9330 (A, KUN, PE; Fig. 6) and C. W. Wang 69533
(KUN, PE), from Baima Shan, Deqen, northwestern
Yunnan, China. In 1979, Wang[2] himself correctly
reduced it to the synonymy of D. batangense. From
our understanding of the morphology of D.
batangense, we consider that both D. chenii W. T.
Wang and D. yajiangense W. T. Wang also fall within
its variation range.
Chen[4] in 1948 described Delphinium albo-
marginatum Chen based on a collection, T. T. Yu
12809 (KUN, PE; Fig. 7), from Daocheng, western
Sichuan, China. In the protologue he compared it with
D. taliense Franch., a species with blue staminodes. In
1957, Wang[3] found that the specific epithet “albo-
marginatum” had been applied in 1924 to a central
Asian species of Delphinium, D. albo-marginatum
Simonova, and thus proposed D. chenii as a
replacement name. In his remarks on D. chenii, Wang
agreed with Chen that the species was close to D.
taliense, but pointed out that it was also similar to D.
hamatum Franch. in leaf shape. He stressed that the
petals and staminodes in D. taliense and D. hamatum
were blue, but black in D. chenii. In 1979, however,
Wang[2] changed his opinion on the affinities of D.
chenii, placing D. chenii into subsection Subumbellata
under section Elatopsis but both D. taliense and D.
hamatum into subsection Ceratophora under section
Delphinastrum. The two sections, as mentioned above,
are markedly different in staminode color.
Delphinium yajiangense was described by
Wang[5] in 1986 based on a collection, Anonymous
349 (KUN, NAS; Fig. 8), from Yajiang, western
Sichuan, China. In the protologue he compared it with
D. pylozowii Maxim. var. trigynum W. T. Wang, a
taxon widely distributed in southeastern Gansu,
Qinghai, northwestern Sichuan, southeastern Xizang,
pointing out that they were different in the degree of
leaf dissection and in the bracteole shape, flower size
and ovary pubescence: in D. pylozowii var. trigynum
the leaves were finely dissected, with the ultimate
lobules linear; bracteoles were sessile, linear; flowers
were larger, with sepals 1.4–2.2 cm long; ovaries were
sparsely spreading puberulent, whereas in D.
yajiangense the leaves were 3-parted near to base,
with the ultimate lobules narrowly ovate; bracteoles
were petiolate, narrowly elliptic, oblanceolate or linear;
flowers were smaller, with sepals 1.1–1.2 cm long;
ovaries were densely appressed puberulent.
After careful examination of the type specimens
of Delphinium chenii and D. yajiangense against those
of D. batangense and other collections (Figs. 9–11),
we are convinced that the three names encompass only
one taxonomic entity. Although the flowers of the type
collection of D. chenii were recorded as “outer
perianth violet blue, inner ones bluish white” on the
field label, Chen[4] described its sepals, under the
name D. albo-marginatum, as white at margin (hence
the specific epithet “albo-marginatum”). Wang[3] also
accepted this as a diagnostic character for D. chenii. A
recent gathering, Y. Luo 410 (PE; Fig. 9: A, B), from
Daocheng, the type locality of D. chenii, was recorded
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Fig. 1 Type specimens of Delphinium batangense. A: J. A. Soulié 3040 (syntype, P), Batang, Sichuan, China; B: J. A. Soulié 3041 (syntype, P), same locality; C:
J. A. Soulié 3042 bis (lectotype, P), same locality; D: J. A. Soulié 3042 bis (isolectotype, P).
416 热带亚热带植物学报 第 24 卷


Fig. 2 Type specimens of Delphinium batangense. A, B: J. A. Soulié 3043 (syntypes, P), Batang, Sichuan, China.

to have bluish flowers on the field label, indicating
that the sepals of the populations from that area do
have a faint white tinge, but we deem this slight
variation in sepal coloration not sufficient to warrant
species recognition. In fact, as shown in Figure 12,
intraspecific variation in flower color is not an
uncommon phenomenon in the genus Delphinium. As
to D. yajiangense, Wang[5] compared it with D.
pylozowii var. trigynum and stressed their differences
in the degree of leaf dissection and in the flower size,
but when comparing it with D. batangense it is not
essentially different in any characters.
From the above analyses we consider it is
reasonable to place Delphinium chenii and D.
yajiangense in synonymy with D. batangense.

Taxonomic treatment
Delphinium batangense Finet & Gagnep. in Bull.
Soc. Bot. France 51: 478. 1904; W. T. Wang in Acta
Bot. Sin. 10: 77. 1962; Munz in J. Arn. Arb. 48: 505.
1967; W. T. Wang in Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 27:
374. 1979; et in Vas. Pl. Hengduan Mount. 1: 481.
1993; et in Fl. Yunnan. 11: 116. 2000; W. T. Wang &
Warnock in Fl. China 6: 238. 2001; Q. Yuan & Q. E.
Yang in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 41: 554. 2003. Type:
China. Sichuan: Batang, Zambala and Yargong, alpine
thickets, Jul.–Sept., 1903, J. A. Soulié 3042bis (lecto-
type, here designated, P!, P00195918; isolectotype, P!,
P00195919), 3040 (syntype, P!), 3041 (syntype, P!),
3043 (syntypes, P!).
D. chenii W. T. Wang in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 6:
369. 1957; et in Acta Bot. Sin. 10: 77. 1962; Munz in
J. Arn. Arb. 49: 131. 1968; W. T. Wang in Fl. Reipubl.
Popularis Sin. 27: 373. 1979; et in Vas. Pl. Hengduan
Mount. 1: 481. 1993; et in Fl. Yunnan. 11: 116. 2000;
W. T. Wang & Warnock in Fl. China 6: 238. 2001.
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Fig. 3 Specimens of Delphinium batangense. A: J. A. Soulié 3898 (P), Batang, Sichuan, China; B: J. A. Soulié 3899 (P), same locality; C, D: J. A. Soulié 3906
(P), same locality.
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Fig. 4 Variation of the position and shape of bracteoles within a population of Delphinium batangense from Baima Shan, Deqen, Yunnan, China. All drawn from
Q. E. Yang & Q. Yuan 87 (PE).

Fig. 5 Delphinium batangense in the wild. A: Habitat; B: Habit; C: Inflorescence; D: Staminode (left) and petal (right). Photos by Q. Yuan from Baima Shan,
Deqen, Yunnan, China.
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Fig. 6 Specimens of Delphinium batangense. A: T. T. Yu 9330 (holotype of D. pulcherrimum, PE), Atuntze (= Deqen), Yunnan, China; B: T. T. Yu 9330 (isotype
of D. pulcherrimum, PE); C, D: T. T. Yu 9330 (isotypes of D. pulcherrimum, KUN).
420 热带亚热带植物学报 第 24 卷





Fig. 7 Specimens of Delphinium batangense. A: T. T. Yu 12809 (holotype of D. albo-marginatum and of D. chenii, KUN), Daocheng, Sichuan, China; B: T. T.
Yu 12809 (isotype of D. albo-marginatum and of D. chenii, KUN); C, D: T. T. Yu 12809 (isotypes of D. albo-marginatum and of D. chenii, PE).
第 3 期 袁琼等: 中国毛茛科翠雀属的分类学研究(十一)：巴唐翠雀花二新异名 421



Fig. 8 Specimens of Delphinium batangense. A: Anonymous 349 (holotype of D. yajiangense, KUN), Yajiang, Sichuan, China; B: Anonymous 349 (isotype of
D. yajiangense, NAS).

syn. nov. —— D. albo-marginatum Chen in Bull. Fan
Mem. Inst. Biol., n.s., 1: 170. 1948, non Simonova,
1924. Type: China. Sichuan: Daocheng, Wongtula,
margin of thickets, 3900 m, Aug. 21, 1937, T. Y. Yu
12809 (holotype, KUN!; isotypes, KUN!, PE!).
D. pulcherrimum W. T. Wang in Acta Phytotax.
Sin. 6: 370. 1957; et in Acta Bot. Sin. 10: 78. 1962;
Munz in J. Arn. Arb. 48: 531. 1967, p. p. Type: China.
Yunnan: Deqen, Baima Shan, Shulung, open slope,
4240 m, Aug. 3, 1937, T. T. Yu 9330 (holotype, PE!;
isotypes, A!, KUN!, PE!).
D. yajiangense W. T. Wang in Bull. Bot. Res.,
Harbin 6(1): 5. 1986; et in Vas. Pl. Hengduan Mount.
1: 481. 1993; W. T. Wang & Warnock in Fl. China 6:
238. 2001. syn. nov. Type: China. Sichuan: Yajiang,
Haizi, alpine meadow, 4400 m, Aug. 18, 1976,
Anonymous 349 (holotype, KUN!; isotypes, KUN!,
NAS!).
Notes. In the protologue of Delphinium albo-
marginatum, Chen[4] designated T. T. Yu 12909 as the
type but did not specify the herbarium in which the
holotype was permanently conserved. Wang[3] only
ambiguously stated that the type was conserved in PE
when he proposed the replacement name D. chenii.
Neither of the two sheets of this collection that we
have retrieved from PE was annotated by Chen. One
of the sheets in KUN (Fig. 7: A), however, was
annotated, in Chen’s hand, as “Delphinium albo-
marginatum, sp. nov.”, and thus we consider it to be
the holotype. It is worth mentioning that the elevation
of the collection locality of T. T. Yu 12909 was given
as 3000 m in the protologue of D. albo-marginatum,
not 3900 m as recorded on the field label. This
typographical error has also appeared in the type
information of D. chenii given in the synopsis of the
Asian Delphinium by Munz[6].
422 热带亚热带植物学报 第 24 卷


Fig. 9 Specimens of Delphinium batangense. A, B: Y. Luo 410 (PE), Daocheng, Sichuan, China; C: Anonymous 513 (SM), Dege, Sichuan, China; D:
Anonymous 251 (SM), Jiulong, Sichuan, China.
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Fig. 10 Specimens of Delphinium batangense, all from Xiangcheng, Sichuan, China. A, B: Y. Luo 417 (PE); C: Anonymous 1189 (PE); D: Anonymous 1189
(CDBI).
424 热带亚热带植物学报 第 24 卷


Fig. 11 Specimens of Delphinium batangense, both from Zhongdian, Yunnan, China. A: Q. E. Yang & H. Z. Kong 98-321 (PE); B: Q. E. Yang & Q. Yuan 26 (PE).


Fig. 12 Delphinium bulleyanum (A, B) and D. kamaonense (C–E) in the wild, showing the variation in flower color within a species. A and B photographed by
Q. Yuan from Zhongdian, Yunnan, China, C and D by Q. Yuan from Nangqen, Qinghai, China, and E by Y. S. Chen from Cona, Xizang, China.
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In general aspect, Delphinium batangense is most
closely similar to D. pseudopulcherrimum W. T. Wang,
so much so that we are not able to pinpoint any
essential difference between them in morphology. The
latter, currently known only from Lhasa in Xizang,
seems to be no more than a somewhat robust form of
the former. Considering their geographical disjunction,
we set aside the problem of the identity of D. pseudo-
pulcherrimum for a future study.
Additional specimens examined. China. Sichuan:
Batang, J. A. Soulié 3042 (P), 3898 (P), 3899 (P), 3901
(P), 3905 (P), 3906 (P), 3907 (P); Daocheng, Y. Luo 410
(PE); Dege, Dege Exped. 513; Jiulong, Jiulong Exped.
251; Xiangcheng, Anonymous 1189 (CDBI, PE), Y. Luo
417 (PE). Yunnan: Deqen, G. Forrest 20780 (K, P), C. W.
Wang 69533 (IBSC, PE), Q. E. Yang & Q. Yuan 77 (PE),
87 (PE); Zhongdian, Q. E. Yang & H. Z. Kong 98-321
(PE), Q. E. Yang & Q. Yuan 26 (PE).
Distribution and habitat. Delphinium
batangense is distributed in western Sichuan (Batang,
Daocheng, Dege, Jiulong, Xiangcheng, Yajiang) and
northwestern Yunnan (Deqen, Zhongdian), China (Fig.
13). It grows in grazed meadows, thickets or on
limestone scree slopes at altitudes of 3800–5200 m.

Fig. 13 Distribution of Delphinium batangense (●).

Acknowledgments We are grateful to the curators of A,
CDBI, IBSC, K, KUN, NAS, P, and PE for the permission to
use their scanned images of specimens and for research
facilities. We thank Dr. You-sheng Chen (PE) for his accom-
paniment and assistance with our field work in northwestern
Yunnan in 2003, and Mr. Jiang-ping Luo (IBSC) for his help
with making the illustrations.

References
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51(2): 461–497.
[2] WANG W T. Delphinium L. [M]// Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae,
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[3] WANG W T. Notulae de Ranunculaceis sinensibus [J]. Acta Phytotax
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[4] CHEN F H. Contributions to the knowledge of the genus Delphinium
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Res (Harbin), 1986, 6(1): 1–42.
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