全 文 ：New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Laojun
Shan and Yao Shan, Northern Yunnan, 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 650204, China;
3 Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138鄄2020, U. S. A. )
Abstract: Two new species, Meconopsis muscicola and M. yaoshanensis (Papaveraceae), are described and charac鄄
terized. Differences separating them from similar species are discussed and photos showing their diagnostic features
are provided.
Key words: Meconopsis; M. muscicola; M. yaoshanensis; New species; Yunnan; Laojun Shan; Yao Shan
CLC number: Q 949摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 Document Code: A摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 摇 Article ID: 0253-2700(2012)02-145-05
摇 New species of Meconopsis belonging to series
Aculeatae Prain, such as M. barbiseta C. Y. Wu &
H. Chuang ex L. H. Zhou (Zhou, 1979), M. bi鄄
jiangensis H. Ohba, T. Yoshida & H. Sun (Ohba
et al., 2009), M. castanea H. Ohba, T. Yoshida &
H. Sun (Ohba et al., 2009), M. heterandra T. Yo鄄
shida , H. Sun & Boufford (Yoshida et al., 2010),
M. pulchella T. Yoshida, H. Sun & Boufford (Yo鄄
shida et al., 2010), and M. balangensis T. Yoshi鄄
da, H. Sun & Boufford ( Yoshida et al., 2011),
have been described recently from newly acquired
specimens owing to a rapid improvement in access to
once unreachable locations in western China.
Prior to an accumulation of cytological and mo鄄
lecular information, well鄄preserved specimens pro鄄
vided with photos of living plants and field notes en鄄
able the division of complicated aggregations of
plants in this series into distinct species, especially
on the basis of the number and color of the petals,
the three鄄dimensional posture of the flowers, and de鄄
tails of their habitats. Such features are difficult to
determine from old, dried specimens and from the
scanty information on their labels.
Interestingly, most of the recently described
species of Meconopsis are distributed in a belt on the
periphery of the distribution of series Aculeatae and
are endemic to a particular mountain or to limited ar鄄
eas in mountains more or less isolated by deep val鄄
leys. The two new species, Meconopsis muscicola
and M. yaoshanensis, described below, also have
narrow distributions and are known only from Laojun
Shan, NW Yunnan and E of Yungning, Sichuan
(M. muscicola), and Yao Shan, NE Yunnan (M.
yaoshanensis) (Figs. 1-4).
Meconopsis muscicola T. Yoshida, H. Sun &
Boufford, sp. nov.
Type: China, Yunnan Province, Lijiang Xian,
Laojun Shan, 26毅38忆04义 N, 99毅42忆54义 E, 3 800 m
elevation, 10 July 2009, T. Yoshida K11 (Holotype
in KUN, isotype in KUN).
Diagnosis: Species nova Meconopsis lancifoliae
(Franch. ) Franch. ex Prain et M. impeditae Prain
affinis, sed a haec speciebus petalis plerumque 4
(nec 5 vel ultra) differt, atque a M. lancifoliae foliis
pinnatilobis, a M. impeditae inflorescentia racemosa
(nec scaposa) differt.
Meconopsis muscicola is similar to M. lancifolia
植 物 分 类 与 资 源 学 报摇 2012, 34 (2): 145 ~ 149
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. 2012. 11188
* Author for correspondence: Toshio Yoshida (1949-), male, a field botanist with a principal interest in phytogeography,
E鄄mail: kharka@ wa2. so鄄net. ne. jp
Received date: 2011-01-04, Accepted date: 2011-03-12
and M. impedita, but differs in usually having 4 petals
(not 5 or more). It differs from M. lancifolia in the
usually pinnately lobed (not entire) leaves, and from
M. impedita in the racemose (not scapose) inflores鄄
cence. The epithet muscicola reflects the preference of
M. muscicola for the deep moss in which it grows.
Description: Herbs, monocarpic, 15 - 35 cm
tall in flower, covered with patent bristles; bristles
straw colored, sometimes tinged with red, to 5 mm
long, 0. 3 mm across, stiff and somewhat pungent.
Taproot 10 - 20 cm long, 5 - 10 mm across near
ground level, often fusiform, rather soft and flexi鄄
ble, longitudinally rugose in dried specimens, with
an elongate whip鄄like extension within thick cushions
of moss. Stem 2-5 cm long, 2. 5-3. 5 mm across,
buried in moss. Leaves petiolate; petiole broadly
linear, 2-8 cm long, 1. 5-3 mm wide; lamina thin鄄
ly chartaceous, lanceolate, oblong, or oblanceolate,
rarely ovate, 3 -9 cm long, 1 -2. 5 cm wide, base
attenuate, margin usually pinnately lobed, some鄄
times coarsely crenate or subentire, apex obtuse,
acute or acuminate, both surfaces covered with patent
bristles slightly shorter than those on stem, upper
surface dark green, veinlets often visible, lower sur鄄
face whitish in dried specimens, with fewer bristles;
lobes 1 -5 pairs, obliquely ascending, apex mostly
obtuse, sinus rounded, terminal lobe larger, del鄄
toid鄄ovate; lamina of basal spring leaves ovate to
lanceolate, margin often entire. Inflorescence race鄄
mose, comprising most of plant above ground, with
6 - 15 flowers per individual; lowest 2 - 4 flowers
subtended by leaf鄄like bracts; pedicel 1 - 10 cm
long, 1-1. 5 mm across in flower, elongate and stiff鄄
ly ascending to 15 cm long in fruit, with bristles as
on stem. Flowers opening flat in fine weather, 2. 5-
4 cm across, half nodding. Calyx 8 -14 mm long.
Petals 4 ( or sometimes 5 ), deep violet purple,
rhombic鄄ovate, broadly ovate, obovate, or rounded,
15-22 mm long, often longitudinally wrinkled over
entire length, apical margin denticulate, apex ob鄄
tuse to rounded. Stamens numerous; filaments fili鄄
form, 4 -6 mm long, similar in color to petals, or
more bluish; anthers c. 1. 5 mm long, dark purple
or orange yellow. Ovary ellipsoid, 3-5 mm long, c.
1. 5 mm across, covered with whitish, ascending or
patent bristles shorter than those on pedicel; style 1
-2 mm long; stigma ovoid, c. 1. 5 mm long, 1 mm
across. Fruit capsules, obovoid鄄oblong, 1. 5 -2 cm
long or more, 4-6 mm across, with 3 or 4 longitudi鄄
nal ribs, densely covered with patent bristles.
Distribution: China: NW Yunnan (Laojun Shan) and
SW Sichuan (E of Yungning); 3300-4000 m elevation.
Habitat: Thick mossy humus on banks, half
rotted fallen tree trunks and granite boulders, along
small streams on northwest facing shady gentle slopes
in Abies forests with intermixed shrubs of Rhododen鄄
dron, Ribes, etc.
Additional specimens examined: G. Forrest
21592 (E), 21986 (E), J. F. Rock 25095 (GH,
K, BM), T. Yoshida K31 (KUN).
Note: Meconopsis muscicola was first collected by
G. Forrest on a mountain east of Yungning, SW Si鄄
chuan, in July 1922, and subsequently on the Jian鄄
chuan (“Chienchuan冶)鄄Mekong divide, 26毅30忆 N, 99毅
40忆 E, NW Yunnan, in August of the same year. The
Jianchuan鄄Mekong divide is considered to be near Lao鄄
jun Shan on the border between Lijiang Xian and Jian鄄
chuan Xian. The specimens of G. Forrest were identi鄄
fied as M. lancifolia in 1933 by G. Taylor, who pub鄄
lished a revision of the genus the following year.
Besides the features mentioned in the above di鄄
agnosis, M. muscicola differs from M. lancifolia and
M. impedita as follows: M. muscicola has a more or
less regularly arranged raceme, whereas M. lancifo鄄
lia has an irregular raceme with few flowers in the
lower half, except the basal ones; M. muscicola has
violet鄄purple flowers, whereas M. lancifolia has lar鄄
ger, magenta鄄purple flowers, and M. impedita has
larger, fully nodding, deep blue flowers; M. musci鄄
cola has thinly chartaceous leaves, whereas M. lanci鄄
folia and M. impedita have thicker ( firmer) leaves
with the upper鄄surface somewhat glossy. The hairs of
M. lancifolia and M. impedita are shorter and weaker
than those of M. muscicola.
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Fig. 1摇 M. muscicola Fig. 2摇 M. yaoshanensis
Fig. 3摇 M. yaoshanensis Fig. 4摇 M. yaoshanensis
摇 摇 Meconopsis muscicola has leaves very similar to
those of M. impedita so that it is difficult to distin鄄
guish them by their rosette leaves. Meconopsis im鄄
pedita was collected at an elevation of 4 000 m on a
ridge southeast of the highest peak, Shengmu Feng,
of Laojun Shan, at 26毅37忆35义 N, 99毅42忆25义 E (T.
Yoshida K12, KUN). Meconopsis impedita was col鄄
lected on Laojun Shan only 1. 5 km south of and 200
m higher than the collection of M. muscicola, but on
a west鄄facing (opposite facing ridge from the latter)
stony slope near the ridge above the tree line where
it is exposed to up currents of the summer monsoon.
7412 期摇 摇 YOSHIDA Toshio et al. : New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Laojun Shan and Yao Shan, …摇 摇 摇
The two species on Laojun Shan are considered to be
separated topographically by their distinct prefer鄄
ences in habitat. Meconopsis impedita, and also M.
lancifolia, never grows within the forest or below the
tree line, while M. muscicola never grows outside of
forests or above the tree line.
Meconopsis muscicola resembles M. concinna
Prain, another species G. Taylor (1934) included
within M. lancifolia in his revision of the genus, in
the 4鄄petaled, violet鄄purple flowers and the pinnately
lobed leaves, and also in habitat preference. Meco鄄
nopsis concinna, however, differs from M. muscicola
in the scapose inflorescence, the narrowly oblong fruit
capsule, the weak, short, sparse hairs, and the
sometimes bipinnately lobed, more complicated leav鄄
es. Meconopsis concinna often grows on slopes and
rocks covered with moss, similar to M. muscicola, but
in semi shaded and half exposed habitats at the edge
of fir forests, in open forests, and among shrubs
above the tree line, and not in shady, closed habi鄄
tats in forests of tall trees, as does M. muscicola.
Meconopsis muscicola somewhat resembles M.
castanea H. Ohba, T. Yoshida & H. Sun in the
racemose inflorescence, the flowers with 4 or more
petals, the leaves sometimes coarsely toothed, and
the stiff and somewhat spine鄄like hairs, but M. cas鄄
tanea differs from M. muscicola in the dark red or
maroon flowers, the larger, cylindrically ellipsoid
fruit capsule, the usually subentire leaves, and in
its preference for exposed stony habitats.
Meconopsis yaoshanensis T. Yoshida, H.
Sun & Boufford, sp. nov.
Type: China, Yunnan Province, Qiaojia Xian,
Yao Shan, 27毅12忆40义 N, 103毅04忆31义 E, 3 750 m, 7
July 2011, T. Yoshida K55 (Holotype: KUN; iso鄄
type KUN).
Diagnosis: Species nova Meconopsis castaneae
H. Ohba, T. Yoshida & H. Sun et M. bijiangensi H.
Ohba, T. Yoshida & H. Sun affinis, sed a haec duo
speciebus fructibus longioribus utroque angustatis,
atque setis debilioribus (nec spiniformibus) differt.
Meconopsis yaoshanensis is similar to M. casta鄄
nea and M. bijiangensis, but differs from them in the
longer fruit capsule narrowed, not rounded, at both
ends, and in the weaker, not spine鄄like but rather
bristle鄄like hairs. The epithet yaoshanensis refers to
the type locality of M. yaoshanensis.
Description: Herbs, monocarpic, 20 - 50 cm
tall in flower, to 60 cm tall or more in fruit. Taproot
elongate, 8-20 cm long, 6-13 mm across in upper
part, sometimes few branched near head. Stem 2-8
cm long, 5 - 10 mm across, mostly underground.
Entire plant covered with bristles; bristles golden
brown or reddish brown, to 5 (6) mm long, more or
less uniform throughout, stiff but not spine鄄like, pa鄄
tent except those on fruits. Leaves 12-25 per indi鄄
vidual, on short stem; petiole broadly linear, 2 -8
cm long, 2 - 3 mm wide; lamina soft herbaceous,
oblong to oblanceolate, rarely elliptic, 4 - 17 cm
long, 1-3 cm wide, base cuneate or attenuate, mar鄄
gin usually entire, sometimes coarsely crenate and
repand, apex obtuse or acute, rarely acuminate,
both surfaces somewhat yellowish green, covered
with patent hairs, less densely so on lower鄄surface;
lower鄄surface glaucous in dried specimens. Upper
leaves ( bracts) short petiolate or sessile; lamina
similar to basal leaves but gradually smaller. Inflo鄄
rescence racemose, comprising most of plant above
ground; rachis thick and hollow in lower part; pedi鄄
cels erect along rachis, 2-7 cm long in flower, to 12
cm long or more in fruit, often winding around ra鄄
chis in fruit, recurving near top, abruptly swollen at
base of calyx; base of pedicel decurrent on rachis as
rounded ridges. Flowers 8 - 16 per individual,
ebracteate except for few lowest flowers, half nod鄄
ding, cup鄄 or bowl鄄shaped in sun, 2 - 3. 5 cm
across. Calyx 1-1. 5 cm long. Petals 4, sometimes
5, rarely 6, pale blue or violet, elliptic, broadly
ovate or obovate, 17-24 mm long, 8-15 mm wide,
apex triangularly acute to rounded, upper margin of鄄
ten coarsely and irregularly dentate, Stamens numer鄄
ous; filaments filiform, 7 -11 mm long, similar to
petals in color; anthers ellipsoid, 1-1. 5 mm long,
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often curved, dark purple, yellow or orange. Ovary
ellipsoid, 5 - 7 mm long, with dense ascending
hairs; style 1 -2 mm long, to 7 mm long in fruit;
stigma capitate, 1-1. 5 mm long. Fruit capsule cy鄄
lindrically oblong, 35 - 52 mm long, 6 - 10 mm
across, narrowed at both ends, with 3 - 5 ridges,
densely covered with retrorse hairs; mature fruits of鄄
ten spirally arranged around rachis, pedicel twisted,
elongate; fruit capsule obliquely narrowed at base.
Seeds blackish, 2. 3-2. 9 mm long.
Distribution: China: NE Yunnan, Qiaojia Xian,
Yao Shan, only in the vicinity of the type locality,
3 650-3 800 m elevation.
Habitat: South鄄, southeast and east鄄facing
steep slopes covered with debris of basalts and scat鄄
tered grasses and herbs among the stones.
Additional specimen examined: T. Yoshida
K46 (KUN).
Note: Meconopsis yaoshanensis is unique in se鄄
ries Aculeatae Prain, to which it belongs, in the
large, cylindrical鄄oblong fruit capsule narrowed both
ends, to 52 mm long and 10 mm across, erect and
often spirally arranged around the long rachis. Meco鄄
nopsis yaoshanensis appears to be most similar to M.
castanea and M. bijiangensis from southern Biluo
Xueshan, some 400 km west of Yao Shan. They
share the cylindrical fruit capsule, the 4 or more
petals, and the long and regularly arranged racemose
inflorescence. Meconopsis castanea and M. bijiangen鄄
sis, however, have smaller capsules ( less than 27
mm long in M. castanea and less than 38 mm long in
M. bijiangensis) with rounded base, larger petals
usually more than 24 mm long, and thicker, some鄄
what spine鄄like hairs. Meconopsis bijiangensis has
pale blue flowers like those of M. yaoshanensis, but
M. castanea has maroon or dark red flowers.
Meconopsis yaoshanensis resembles M. forrestii
in the smaller, pale blue, 4鄄petaled, nodding flow鄄
ers, the soft herbaceous, oblong leaves, and the less
dense, bristle鄄like hairs. However, M. forrestii has a
narrowly oblong fruit capsule, a few鄄flowered short
raceme, and a short taproot. Meconopsis forrestii
usually grows among dwarf shrubs and on shaded
slopes and never grows on exposed stony slopes.
Meconopsis yaoshanensis also resembles M. lancifolia
in the racemose inflorescence and the oblong fruit
capsule. Meconopsis lancifolia, however, has 5 or
more purplish blue petals, spine鄄like and not bristle鄄
like hairs, an irregular raceme with few flowers in
the lower half except the basal ones, and smaller
capsules with a shorter style, unlike those of M.
yaoshanensis.
Meconopsis yaoshanensis somewhat resembles
M. prainiana Kingdon鄄Ward in the long, regularly
arranged raceme and 4, pale blue petals, but M.
prainiana has dense, very hard spine鄄like hairs, and
small, more or less ellipsoid fruit capsules. Meco鄄
nopsis yaoshanensis also somewhat resembles M.
racemosa and M. rudis in the regularly arranged ra鄄
ceme and in its preference for exposed stony habi鄄
tats, but the latter two species have 5 or more blue
petals, small, more or less ellipsoid fruit capsules,
and very hard spine鄄like hairs.
Acknowledgement: We are indebted to Xinxin Zhu, Kun鄄
ming Institute of Botany, for his assistance in collecting spec鄄
imens, and Naoki Takahashi, Natural History Museum and
Institute, Chiba, for the identification of the rock substrate in
each of the habitats.
References:
Ohba H, Yoshida T, Sun H, 2009. Two new species of Meconopsis
(Papaveraceae) from southern Biluo Xueshan, Yunnan, China
[J] . Journal of Japanese Botany, 84 (5): 294—302
Taylor G, 1934. An Account of the Genus Meconopsis [M]. London:
New Flora and Silva Ltd.
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
Yoshida T, Sun H, Boufford DE, 2011. New species of Meconopsis
(Papaveraceae ) from Balang Shan, western Sichuan, China
[J] . Plant Diversity and Resources (植物分类与资源学报),
33 (4): 409—413
Zhou LH, 1979. New taxa of Meconopsis from Qinghai鄄Tibet plateau
[J] . Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica (植物分类学报), 17 (4):
112—114
9412 期摇 摇 YOSHIDA Toshio et al. : New Species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae) from Laojun Shan and Yao Shan, …摇 摇 摇