全 文 ：Section Petiolares Pax of the genus Primula L.
is well represented in the Hengduanshan-Himalaya
Mts., with only a few members extend into Kashmir,
central China, and some other regions[1–2]. One of the
most important diagnostic characters of this section
is that of the capsule being globose, including in the
persistent calyx, not opening by valves but crumbling
at the membrane apex. Nearly 60 species are now
recognized worldwide[2–3].
Subsection Chatacea W. W. Sm. & Forrest is a
small group of section Petiolares, characterized by
the plants being glabrous and efarinose, lacking bud-
scales at flowering period, and by the leaves with
more or less rounded blades and slender petioles[4].
Including the recently described ones[5–7], there are
eight species in total, and seemingly form a natural
and closely allied group confined to S Sichuan, N
Yunnan, SE Xizang of China and the adjacent area of
N Myanmar and N Vietnam.
In early 2013, one of the authors found a kind of
热带亚热带植物学报　2015， 23(2)： 147 ~ 150
Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany
Received: 2014–08–18　　　　Accepted: 2014–10–13
This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270260, 31270009).
* Corresponding author. E-mail: haogang@scau.edu.cn
中国四川报春花属一新种
徐源1, 胡启明2, 郝刚1*
(1. 华南农业大学生命科学学院， 广州 510642； 2. 中国科学院华南植物园， 广州 510650)
摘要： 报道了中国四川报春花属(Primula L.)一新种——小繸瓣报春(P. hydrocotylifolia G. Hao, C. M. Hu & Y. Xu)。小繸瓣报春
植株无毛、无粉，叶片多少呈圆形，具纤细的叶柄，开花期叶丛基部无鳞片，球形蒴果藏于宿存花萼，成熟时裂成不规则碎片，显
然属于脆蒴报春组(sect. Petiolares Pax)革叶报春亚组(subsect. Chartacea W. W. Sm. & Forrest)，并与该亚组的川西繸瓣报春(P.
veitchiana Petitm.)最为接近，但后者植物体的各部分均远大于此新种，花序多花，花亦较大，二者之间无过渡类型。
关键词： 小繸瓣报春； 报春花属； 脆蒴报春组； 新种； 中国
doi: 10.11926/j.issn.1005–3395.2015.02.005
A New Species of Primula (Primulaceae) from Sichuan, China
XU Yuan1, HU Chi-ming2, HAO Gang1*
(1. College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China)
Abstract: A new species of Primula is described and illustrated under the name of P. hydrocotylifolia G. Hao,
C. M. Hu & Y. Xu. From general morphology it is clearly allied to the species of section Petiolares subsection
Chartacea, which is characterized by the plants being glabrous and efarinose, lacking bud-scales at flowering time,
the globose capsule including in the persistent calyx, not opening by valves but crumbling at the membrane apex,
and by the leaves with more or less rounded blades and slender petioles. The new species superficially resembles
P. veitchiana, but the latter can be easily distinguished by its much taller stature, many-flowered inflorescence and
larger flowers.
Key words: Primula hydrocotylifolia; Primula; Section Petiolares; New Species; China
148 第23卷热带亚热带植物学报
tiny Primula growing in sandstone caves in Qianfo
Shan, about 180 km southwest of Chengdu City,
Sichuan Province, China. As the corolla lobes being
finely toothed, at first sight it looks like a small plant
of P. veitchiana Petitm., a species also occur in central
and southern Sichuan. In subsequent expeditions,
abundant individuals of new collections have been
found around the same locality; its miniature characters
of every part are very stable, and there is no intermediates
between it and the closely related species. A detailed
study turned out that the population represents an
undescribed taxon of section Petiolares subsection
Chartacea. The new species is described and illustrated
here. A key to the species of the subsection is also
presented.
Primula hydrocotylifolia G. Hao, C. M. Hu & Y.
Xu, sp. nov.　　Fig. 1
Type: China. Sichuan: Dayi Xian, Huashuiwan,
Qianfo Shan, Xuehuading, 30°31.428′ N, 103°13.253′
E, alt. 2000 m, 21 April 2013, Y. Xu & T. J. Liu
130012 (holotype, IBSC; isotype, IBSC).
Fig. 1 Primula hydrocotylifolia G. Hao, C. M. Hu & Y. Xu, sp. nov. A: Plant; B: Calyx; C: Short-styled flower; D: Long-styled flower; E: Capsule; F:
Seeds. (Drawn by LIU Yun-xiao from the holotype)
第2期 149
Diagnosis: Proxima P. veitchianae Petitm. sed
omnibus partibus minoribus, foliis exsiccatis membranaceis,
scapo filiformi plerumque unifloro, lobis calycis acutis
differt.
Perennial herbs, glabrous throughout, with a thin
rootstock, without paleaceous basal scales at flowering
time; roots fibrous. Leaves forming a rosette of 1–
1.5 cm in diameter; petioles slender, 6–18 mm long,
after flowering lengthening to 25 mm, 2–3 times
longer than the leaf blade; leaf blade broadly ovate-
orbicular to reniform orbicular, 2.5–7 mm × 3–8 mm,
apex rounded, rarely broadly obtuse, base cordate,
margin subentire or undulate, with 1–2 teeth on each
side; lateral veins obscure on both surfaces. Scape 1
per plant, 2–4 cm long, lengthening to 5 cm at fruiting
time; umbels 1- or rarely 2-flowered; bracts 1–2,
linear, 1–3 mm long; pedicels 6–9 mm long. Flowers
distylous. Calyx narrowly campanulate, c. 3.5 mm
long, 5-veined, split to 1/3 of its length; lobes ovate
lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, apex acute. Corolla rosy-
purple with a yellow eye, annulate, limb c. 1.5 cm
across, lobes obovate, c. 6 mm × 5.5 mm, slightly
notched at middle, apex finely toothed; thrum flower
with corolla tube c. 6 mm long, stamens inserted towards
apex, style c. 3 mm long reaching to middle of the
corolla tube; pin flower with corolla tube c. 5 mm
long, stamens inserted at middle of the corolla tube,
style prominently exserted beyond annulus. Capsule
subglobose, about half the length of the persistent
calyx, not opening by teeth, crumbling at apex when
mature.
Distribution, habitat and conservation status:
The new species is presently known only from Qianfo
Shan in Sichuan Province, ranging from altitudes of
500–2000 m, growing in small groups on humid rocks
in sandstone caves. Flowering from April to May.
Although currently the new species is not uncommon
in Qianfo Shan, the area is a scenic spot which is
threatened by developing tourism; furthermore the
plant is collected by local people and employed as a
supposed cure for lumbago. Based on current information
and according to IUCN red list criteria[8], its conservation
status is evaluated as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR)
(B1abiii).
Etymology: The Latin epithet “hydrocotylifolia”
refers to the new species with leaves resembling those
of Hydrocotyle (Apiaceae).
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):
China. Sichuan: Dayi Xian, Huashuiwan, Qianfo
Shan, Xiadong, alt. 500 m, 21 April, 2013, Y. Xu & T.
J. Liu 130014 (IBSC); the same locality, alt. 1585 m,
9 July, 2013, H. F. Yan Y2013123 (IBSC).
Taxonomic remarks: Morphologically species
of subsection Chatacea constitute a natural group to
some extent, but the circumscription of this subsection
is never unquestionable. The diagnostic characters,
i.e., plants without hairs or meal, lacking bud-scales
at anthesis, capsule opening by crumbling at maturity,
and leaves with more or less rounded blades and
slender petioles etc., are also occasionally occur elsewhere
in sect. Petiolares. Superficial resemblance to species
of some other subsections appeals the recognition of
synapomorphies of this group. In the past two decades
large-scale molecular phylogenetic analyses on the
genus Primula have been conducted[9–12], but few species
of sect. Petiolares have been sampled, so the systematic
position of subsect. Chatacea is unclear and its
monophyly awaits further assessment.
Among these species tentatively assigned to
subsect. Chatacea, the new species, P. hydrocotylifolia,
is most similar to P. veitchiana in general appearance,
but may be distinguished by its tiny structure of all
parts, and the scape usually bearing only one flower.
Nine members are thus included in this subsection,
which can be distinguished from one another by the
following key.
Key to the species of Primula sect. Petiolares subsect. Chartacea
1. Leaves cuneate at base ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
　Leaves rounded or cordate at base …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
2. Petioles faintly winged; leaf blade broadly obovate to suborbicular, corolla lobules entire or toothed …………………… P. petelotii
徐源等：中国四川报春花属一新种
150 第23卷热带亚热带植物学报
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　Petioles narrowly-winged; leaf blade obovate, corolla lobules dentate or lacerate …………………………………… P. nghialoensis
3. Scape shorter than pedicels …………………………………………………………………………………………… P. fenghuaiana
　Scape longer than pedicels …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
4. Corolla-lobes emarginated at apex, lobules entire …………………………………………………………………………………… 5
　Corolla-lobes 2-cleft at apex, lobules dentate or lacerate …………………………………………………………………………… 6
5. Leaves obtuse at base; calyx-lobes acute …………………………………………………………………………… P. wenshanensis
　Leaves rounded or cordate at base; calyx-lobes rounded or obtuse ……………………………………………………… P. chartacea
6. Flowers homomorphic, corolla pale yellow ………………………………………………………………………… P. arunachalensis
　Flowers heteromorphic, corolla rosy-purple to lavender-blue ……………………………………………………………………… 7
7. Leaves 2.5–8 mm in diam., membrance; flowers usually solitary; calyx-lobes acute ……………………………… P. hydrocotylifolia
　Leaves much larger, papery to subleathery; umbels usually 2-many-flowered; calyx-lobes obtuse or rounded …………………… 8
8. Umbels with simple bracts only; corolla-tube 0.7–1(–1.2) cm, puberulent inside ……………………………………… P. veitchiana
　Umbels with bracts and small petiolate leaves; corolla-tube 1.1–1.3 cm, pilose inside …………………………………… P. lacerata