全 文 ：New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Balang
Shan, Western Sichuan, China
YOSHIDA Toshio1
*
, SUN Hang2, BOUFFORD David E. 3
(1 Hoshiya 330鄄6, Oamishirasato鄄machi, Sambu鄄gun, Chiba 299鄄3222, Japan; 2 Key Laboratory of Biodiversity
and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China;
3 Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138鄄2020, U. S. A. )
Abstract: A new species with two varieties, Meconopsis balangensis varieties balangensis and atrata (Papaverace鄄
ae), is described and characterized. Differences separating it from similar species are discussed and photos showing
the diagnostic features are provided.
Key words: Meconopsis; M. balangensis var. balangensis; M. balangensis var. atrata; New species; New variety; Sichuan
CLC number: Q 949摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 Document Code: A摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 Article ID: 0253-2700(2010)04-409-05
摇 We (Yoshida et al., 2007) previously reported
the rediscovery of Meconopsis wilsonii C. Grey鄄Wil鄄
son subsp. wilsonii in Yele Xiang, Mianning Xian,
Sichuan Province, then the discovery of two new
species M. pulchella T. Yoshida, H. Sun & D. E.
Boufford and M. heterandra T. Yoshida, H. Sun &
D. E. Boufford collected in the same region of Yele
Xiang (Yoshida et al., 2007, 2010).
Under Meconopsis heterandra, we mentioned
that plants on Balang Shan, Siguniang Shan and Jia鄄
jin Shan, north of the type locality of M. heterandra,
also in Sichuan, and identified in the past as either
M. racemosa Maxim. or M. rudis (Prain) Prain were
perhaps variants, or hybrids, of M. heterandra, and
added that further field research in and around that
area and good quality specimens, especially to show
the stamens, were necessary before the identity and
distribution of those plants could be settled.
After our recent research on the plants of Bal鄄
ang Shan and neighboring mountains, we came to
the conclusion that the plants of Balang Shan are
distinguishable from Meconopsis heterandra, M. race鄄
mosa and M. rudis and represent a new species,
which we name Meconopsis balangensis. The varietal鄄
ly distinct plants with darker flowers from Jiajin Shan
are named M. balangensis var. atrata (Fig. 1, 2).
Meconopsis balangensis T. Yoshida, H. Sun
& D. E. Boufford, sp. nov.
Type: China, Sichuan Province: Balang Shan,
dividing ridge between Rilong Valley in Xiaojin
Xian and Wolong Valley in Wenchuan Xian, 4 250-
4 300 m, 19 July 2010, T. Yoshida K39 (Holotype:
KUN; isotype KUN).
Diagnosis: Meconopsis heterandra T. Yoshida,
H. Sun & D. E. Boufford et M. rudi (Prain) Prain
affinis sed a M. heterandra rachidi semper longiora
quam pedicellis, foliis plerumque integris, a M. rudi
filamentis adaxialibus inflatis et intro curvis, stig鄄
mate longiore differt.
Meconopsis balangensis is similar to M. heteran鄄
dra and M. rudis, but differs from M. heterandra in
the rachis being always longer than the pedicels and
in the leaves being mostly entire. It differs from M.
rudis in its inflated and inwardly curved inner fila鄄
ments and also in its longer stigma.
Description: Plants monocarpic, 20 - 40 cm
tall at flowering, to 50 cm tall or more at fruiting.
Taproot elongate, 10-25 cm long, 6-10 mm across
near ground level, woody and hard. Entire plant
植 物 分 类 与 资 源 学 报摇 2011, 33 (4): 409 ~ 413
Plant Diversity and Resources摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 DOI: 10. 3724 / SP. J. 1143. 2011. 11026
* Author for correspondence; E鄄mail: kharka@ wa2. so鄄net. ne. jp
Received date: 2011-02-14, Accepted date: 2011-03-22
covered with patent spine鄄like hairs; hairs straw鄄col鄄
ored, occasionally reddish brown ( in var. atrata),
uneven in the length, to 9 mm long, rather thin but
hard, base usually thick and blackish ( in var. bal鄄
angensis), apex usually elongate with narrowed tips
(easily breaking in var. balangensis). Stem mostly
underground. Leaves crowded near base of stem;
petiole broadly linear, 3-8 cm long, 2-3 mm wide;
lamina elliptic, oblong or oblanceolate, 4 - 15 cm
long, 1. 3-5. 5 cm wide, base cuneate or attenuate,
margin usually entire, sometimes coarsely and irreg鄄
ularly sinuate or toothed, apex obtuse or acute, both
Fig. 1摇 Meconopsis balangensis var. balangensis
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Fig. 2摇 Meconopsis balangensis var. atrata
surfaces glaucous and covered with patent spine鄄like
hairs. Upper leaves ( bracts) shortly petiolate or
sessile; lamina similar to basal leaves but smaller, 1
-5 cm long, 3 - 10 mm wide. Inflorescence race鄄
mose, rachis elongate, comprising most of plant a鄄
bove ground; upper one fourth to three fourths of
flowers ebracteate; pedicels ascending, 1-6 cm long
in flowering, to 12 cm long or more in fruiting, ab鄄
ruptly swollen at base of calyx. Flowers 6-20 per in鄄
dividual, half nodding, widely open in strong sun鄄
shine, 3. 5 - 8 cm across; calyx 15 -18 mm long;
petals 5 - 11, blue, bluish purple, dark purple or
dark maroon (in var. atrata), rarely pale pink, ob鄄
ovate, broadly obovate or rounded, 1. 5-4 cm long,
1144 期摇 摇 摇 YOSHIDA Toshio et al. : A New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Balang Shan, Western … 摇 摇 摇
1-2. 8 cm wide; stamens numerous, filaments 5-12
mm long, similar to petals in color, dimorphic; in鄄
ner filaments inflated and curved inward, 0. 5-1. 5
mm across, thus covering ovary, remaining filaments
filiform or narrowly linear, straight; anthers 1. 5 -2
mm long, thecae orangish yellow; ovary ovoid or
narrowly ovoid, 4-7 mm long, densely covered with
ascending spine鄄like hairs; style 2 - 5 mm long in
flowering, 0. 5-1. 2 mm across; stigma clavate, 1-2
mm across, divided into 4 -6 lobes, lobes linear,
decurrent, 3-5 mm long at flowering, elongate to 10
mm long and often free after flowering. Fruiting cap鄄
sules ellipsoid, 1. 5-2 cm long, both ends rounded,
densely covered with patent spine鄄like hairs.
Distribution: China, Sichuan: Xiaojin, Wen鄄
chuan, Baoxing and Kangding Xian; Balang Shan,
Siguniang Shan, Jiajin Shan and unnamed mountains
near Lianghekou; 3 650-4 300 m elevation.
Note: Meconopsis heterandra appears to be
most closely related to M. balangensis, based on the
shared characteristics of inflated inner filaments,
large stigma, rounded apex of the fruiting capsules,
thinner spiny hairs and broad, glaucous leaves. The
elongate, upright pedicels of M. heterandra are much
longer than the short rachis of the raceme at flower鄄
ing and in the buds on undeveloped pedicels being
borne among protecting rocks. In contrast, the as鄄
cending pedicels of M. balangensis are shorter than
the elongate rachis of the raceme and the flower buds
are exposed above ground. The leaf blades of M.
heterandra are usually coarsely serrate with 2 - 4
pairs of teeth, while those of M. balangensis are usu鄄
ally entire, or sometimes coarsely and irregularly
sinuate or toothed. The larger and often broadly el鄄
liptic leaf blade with rounded apex of the rosette
leaves and the long petioles are features in common
in M. heterandra and M. balangensis.
Meconopsis rudis, another species closely relat鄄
ed to M. balangensis, has narrower leaf blades than
M. balangensis and its rosette leaves are more or less
similar to the stem leaves. The filaments of M. rudis
are uniformly filiform and never inflated as in M. ba鄄
langensis. The stigma of M. rudis is capitate or sub鄄
clavate, and the lobes are less than 3 mm long and
do not become free as in M. balangensis. The fruit鄄
ing capsule of M. rudis is somewhat smaller than in
M. balangensis, and the apex is obtuse in M. rudis,
but rounded in M. balangensis. M. rudis was includ鄄
ed in M. horridula by George Taylor (1934) and in
M. racemosa by the authors of Flora of China (Wu et
al., 1999), and it is still controversial to treat it as a
distinct species.
Meconopsis rudis and M. heterandra grow on rocky
slopes and in rock fissures on west鄄 to southwest鄄fa鄄
cing, foggy slopes exposed to upcurrents from the
southwest summer monsoon. They root among rocks
in sandy soil likely to dry up if not exposed to fog.
M. balangensis grows on gentle stony slopes, without
limitation of aspect, in moist, blackish soil among
underground rocks.
The northern half of the Jiajin Shan range runs
along the boundary between Xiaojin and Baoxing
Xian. Its southern half runs along the boundary be鄄
tween Kangding and Baoxing Xian. Meconopsis bal鄄
angensis occurs only in the northern part of the
range. Yoshida collected specimens ( T. Yoshida
K44 (KUN)) of M. rudis in the southern part of the
range on Baoding Shan east of Pengta, at 30毅26忆22义
N, 102毅24忆40义E, 4 200 m elevation, but did not
find any plants of M. balangensis. Baoding Shan ap鄄
pears to be one of the northernmost sites for M. ru鄄
dis. Some high mountains extending to more than
5 000 m elevation between Baoding Shan and M. bal鄄
angensis in the northern part of the same range may
be an effective barrier to keep the species apart.
Key to Varieties
Petals usually blue or bluish purple, rarely pale pink; base of
spine鄄like hairs blackish, tips narrowly elongate and easi鄄
ly breaking var. balangensis…………………………
Petals dark purple or dark maroon; spine鄄like hairs some鄄
times unicolored without blackish base, more or less uni鄄
form throughout, tips not easily breaking … var. atrata
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摇 摇 Meconopsis balangensis var. balangensis
Distribution: China, Sichuan: Xiaojin, Wen鄄
chuan and Kangding Xian; Balang Shan, Siguniang
Shan and unnamed mountains near Lianghekou;
3 650-4 300 m elevation.
Habitat: In moist blackish soil among rocks on
stony, grassy, west鄄, south鄄 or east鄄facing slopes.
The elongate taproot extends deep underground into
narrow gaps between rocks and in rock fissures.
Many flies, as well as bumblebees and other in鄄
sects, visit the laterally鄄facing flowers during fine
weather.
Specimens examined: China. Sichuan, Balang
Shan, T. Yoshida K39 (KUN); Sichuan, Kangding
Xian, unnamed mountain near Lianghekou, T. Yo鄄
shida K45 (KUN); Sichuan, Balang Shan, K. Y.
Lang, L. Q. Li & Y. Fei 1134 (KUN).
Note: Meconopsis balangensis var. balangensis
grows close to the boundary of Kangding, Xiaojin
and Baoxing Xian on an unnamed mountain near Li鄄
anghekou, 30毅41忆51义 N, 102毅28忆50义 E, 3 650 m in
elevation (T. Yoshida K45 (KUN)) and were photo鄄
graphed around Siguniang Shan, north of Balang Shan.
Meconopsis balangensis var. atrata T. Yoshida,
H. Sun & D. E. Boufford, var. nov.
Type: China, Sichuan Province: Xiaojin Xian,
Jiajin Shan, 30毅52忆18义 N, 102毅41忆02义 E, 3 950 m
elevation, 20 Jul 2010, T. Yoshida K41 (Holotype:
KUN; isotype KUN).
Diagnosis: Variatas nova a var. balangensi
petalis atropurpreis vel atrocastaneis, pilis spini鄄
formibus aliquando unicoloribus base non nigrescen鄄
tibus plus minusve uniformibus apice non fragilibus
differt.
Meconopsis balangensis var. atrata differs from
var. balangensis in the dark purple or dark maroon
petals and in the spine鄄like hairs sometimes unicol鄄
ored without blackish base, more or less uniform
throughout, tips not easily breaking.
Distribution: China, Sichuan, boundary between
Xiaojin and Baoxing Xian, northern and southern
slopes of the pass over Jiajin Shan, 3 950-4 000 m.
Habitat: In moist blackish soil among rocks on
west鄄 south鄄 and east鄄facing stony, grassy slopes.
The elongate taproot extends deeply into narrow gaps
between rocks and into rock fissures. The plants
grow on or among the jagged outcrops of the shale
bedrock of Jiajin Shan.
Specimens examined: China. Sichuan, Xiao鄄
jin Xian, Jiajin Shan, T. Yoshida K41 ( KUN);
Baoxing Xian, Tzupu Soong 39109 (KUN).
Note: The darker flowers of var. atrata, as
dark as those of Meconopsis wallichii Hook. var. fus鄄
co鄄purpurea Hook. f. , clearly distinguish it from
var. balangensis. Meconopsis balangensis var. atrata
is generally smaller and thinner ( less robust) than
var. balangensis.
References:
Taylor G, 1934. An Account of the Genus Meconopsis. London: New
Flora and Silva Ltd
Wu CY (吴征镒), Chuang H (庄璇), Su Z (苏志云), 1999. Pa鄄
paveraceae, Flora of China [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 32:
27—29
Yoshida T, Sun H, Boufford DE, 2007. Meconopsis wilsonii subsp.
wilsonii (Papaveraceae) rediscovered [ J] . Acta Botanica Yun鄄
nanica (云南植物研究), 29 (3): 286—288
Yoshida T, Sun H, Boufford DE, 2010. New species of Meconopsis
( Papaveraceae) from Mianning, southwestern Sichuan, China
[J] . Acta Botanica Yunnanica (云南植物研究), 32 (6):
503—507
3144 期摇 摇 摇 YOSHIDA Toshio et al. : A New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Balang Shan, Western … 摇 摇 摇