Nordic Journal of Botany 26: 38
40, 2008 doi: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2008.00234.x, # 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation # Nordic Journal of Botany 2008 Subject Editor: Alexander Sennikov. Accepted 28 July 2008 Six new synonyms in the central Asian Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) Dmitry A. German D. A. German (oreoloma@rambler.ru), Herbarium ALTB, South-Siberian Botanical Garden, Altai State University, Lenin str. 61, RU
656049 Barnaul, Russia. Six taxa of the central Asian Cruciferae: Chorispora tianschanica Z. X. An, Draba denserosulata Pobed., Erysimum brevifolium Z. X. An, Malcolmia humilis Z. X. An, Solms-laubachia pamirica Z. X. An, and Yinshania albiflora Ma & Y. Z. Zhao var. gobica Z. X. An, are reduced to synonymy of Parrya beketovii Krassn., Draba lanceolata Royle, Erysimum cheiranthoides L. subsp. transiliense (M. Pop.) D. German, Strigosella brevipes (Bunge) Botschantzew, Chorispora macropoda Trautv. and Smelowskia micrantha (Botschantzew & Vved.) Al-Shehbaz & S. I. Warwick, respectively. The taxonomy and nomenclature of some central Asian Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) is rather complicated because they are based on scarce, incomplete, or single gatherings often dispersed in small and sometimes hardly accessible herbaria. This problem was partially resolved during the preparation of the Flora of China (Zhou et al. 2001), though some recently described taxa remained unaddressed. The present paper deals with six names, of which five are based on Chinese and one on Mongolian material. The status of Erysimum brevifolium Z. X. An and Malcolmia humilis Z. X. An was briefly discussed by German (2007) in an obscure publication, where no taxonomic adjustments were made. Therefore, these taxa are included here as well. Taxonomic considerations Parrya beketovii Krassn. (1887, p. 12) Based on the same type: Neuroloma beketovii (Krassn.) Botschantzew (1972a, p. 670). Type: [Kazakhstan, Tian-Shan], in vallis Tscharyn, 30
31 May 1886, Krassnow s. n. (lectotype: LE!, designated by Botschantzev (1972a); isolectotypes in LE!).
Chorispora tianschanica Z. X. An (1995, p. 378) syn. nov. Type: China, Xinjiang, Hami Xian, Jul 1974, Zhang Yanfu 0409 (holotype: XJNM!, sub nom. C. pseudobungeana Z. X. An). Although An (1995) compared Chorispora tianschanica with C. bungeana Fisch. & Mey., and Zhou et al. (2001) reduced it to its synonymy, the two species are quite different in their flower arrangement. In C. tianschanica the 38 flowers are grouped in racemes (An 1995) whereas in C. bungeana they are solitary. A closer study of the holotype of C. tianschanica showed that it belongs to Parrya R. Br. rather than Chorispora R. Br. ex DC. The two genera differ substantially in their fruits and seeds. Parrya has latiseptate, dehiscent fruits and winged seeds, whereas Chorispora has terete, schizocarpic fruits and wingless seeds. Despite the holotype of C. tianschanica has no fruits, it is excluded from Chorispora because its overall morphology is untypical for this genus; from the single Chorispora representative which is also perennial with erect stems and purple flowers, C. greigii Regel, it sufficiently differs in rounded (not emarginate) petals, much shorted pedicels and leafless stems. Contrary, in almost every morphological aspect, C. tianschanica is indistinguishable from P. beketovii. The only exception is the presence in P. beketovii of simple trichomes and the erroneous report by An (1995) of glands in C. tianschanica which is likely based on tubercles of simple trichomes of P. beketovii. Draba lanceolata Royle (1839, p. 72) Type: [India, Himachal Pradesh], west Himalaya, Royle s. n. (holotype: K).
Draba denserosulata Pobed. (1935, p. 55) syn. nov. Type: Mongolian Altai, Khara-Dzarga range, north slope, near the river Khairkhan-Duru, larch woods, 25 Aug 1930, E. G. Pobedimova 350 (holotype: LE!). Pobedimova (1935) stated that Draba denserosulata, which is known only from the type gathering, differs from D. stylaris [auct. non J. Gay, D. lanceolata] by its longer basal leaves (to 4 cm) and comparatively short filaments, from D. hirta L. [nom. ambig. D. glabella Pursh] by its toothed (vs entire) basal leaves and more numerous seeds (15
24 vs 12
18 per locule), and from both species by the basally dilated filament bases and very dense basal rosettes. These alleged differences would hardily justify recognition of a species. A critical comparison of the holotype of D. denserosulata and numerous collections of the highly polymorphic and widespread D. lanceolata clearly shows that they are conspecific. Although Grubov (1955), followed by Gubanov (1996), reduced D. denserosulata to synonymy of D. glabella (as D. hirta) and did not include it in a later publication (Grubov 2000), the two species are substantially different. Draba lanceolata (including D. denserosulata) has densely stellate indumentum throughout (vs mostly glabrous to glabrescent upper parts) and slightly inflated (vs flattened), densely stellate fruits (vs glabrous or rarely with simple and forked trichomes). Erysimum cheiranthoides L. subsp. transiliense (M. Pop.) D. German (2006, p. 26) Based on the same type: E. transiliense M. Pop. (1940, p. 74). Type: Kazakhstan, Alatau Transiliensis, river Turgen, stream Tesken-su in 1
2 km upper the mouth, stony steppe. 14 Jul 1937. M. G. Popov s. n. (lectotype: AA!, designated by Goloskokov (1963); isolectotypes: AA! and LE!).
Erysimum brevifolium Z. X. An (1995, p. 379) syn. nov. Type: China, Xinjiang, Urumqi Shan. 15 Aug 1957, Hou Wen-hu 005 (holotype: XJFA!). Based on the densely stellate inner surface of fruit valves and narrowly obovate petals, Zhou et al. (2001) treated E. brevifolium as a synonym of E. cheiranthoides. By contrast, German (2006) suspected its conspecificity with E. transiliense M. Pop., reduced to a subspecies of E. cheiranthoides, and a recent examination of the holotype of E. brevifolium supported that conclusion. E. cheiranthoides subsp. transiliense is readily distinguished from subsp. cheiranthoides by its longer (4
6 vs 1
3(3.5) cm) fruits (4
)5
6 (vs 2
3) times longer than the fruiting pedicels, slightly larger petals (4.5
6.5 vs 3
5 mm) and biennial (vs annual) habit. It is restricted to the Tian-Shan mountains of China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and the Altai mountains of China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Strigosella brevipes (Bunge) Botschantzew (1972b, p. 1041) Based on the same type: Dontostemon brevipes Bunge (1847, p. 149), non M. brevipes (Kar. et Kir.) Boissier (1867, p. 26).
Malcolmia karelinii Lipsky in Paulsen (1903, p. 139). Type: [Auf sterilen Lehmhügeln um Buchara 4 Apr (fl.)]. Reliq. Lehmann. 100. Dontostemon brevipes m. [Bunge] (lectotype: P!, designated by German in German et al. (2006); isolectotypes: LE! and P!).
Malcolmia humilis Z. X. An (1995, p. 378) syn. nov. Type: China, Xinjiang, Burqin Shan, near the town [Burqin], sandy dunes along the river [Irtysh], 25 May 1972, An Zheng-xi 720054 (holotype: XJA!). Although An (1995) compared Malcolmia humilis with M. scorpioides (Bunge) Boissier and Zhou et al. (2001) reduced it to synonymy of that species, the original protologue and a closer examination of its type showed that it is a synonym of M. karelinii rather than of M. scorpioides. Within China, the latter is restricted to the Dzungaria and Tian
Shan foothills, whereas M. karelinii (Strigosella brevipes) is widespread in central Asia, north to the Altai foothills of Xinjiang and neighboring Mongolia (Smirnov et al. 2003) and east to Nei Mongol (Zhou et al. 2001) and Gansu (German and Chen unpubl.). All Chinese and Irano
Turanian species previously assigned to Malcolmia W. T. Aiton are now referred to Strigosella Boissier, a genus restored by Botschantzev (1972), and subsequent molecular studies (Warwick et al. 2007) clearly supported that and showed it to be unrelated to the predominantly Mediterranean Malcolmia. Chorispora macropoda Trautv. (1860, p. 109). Type: [Kazakhstan, Dzungarian Alatau], Dshabyk, 12 Jul 1841, Al. Schrenk [765]. (lectotype: LE!, designated by Rechinger (1968); isolectotypes: LE! and P!).
Solms-laubachia pamirica Z. X. An (1995, p. 377) syn. nov. Type: China, Xinjiang, Taxkorgan. Alt. 4600 m a.s.l., 13 Jul 1978, Xinjiang Expedition 1425 (holotype: XJBI no. 14199!). Because of its multicellular glands, Solms-laubachia pamirica has been excluded from the genus and suspected to belong either to Chorispora or Dontostemon Andrz. ex C. A. Mey. (Al-Shehbaz and Yang 2001, Zhou et al. 2001, Appel and Al-Shehbaz 2003). However, of these two genera, only some representatives of Chorispora (C. macropoda Trautv., C. songarica Schrenk, etc.) have yellow petals. An examination of the type of S.-l. pamirica supports its reduction to a synonym of C. macropoda. Although the protologue of S.-l. pamirica gave the altitude as 4000 m a.s.l. and the herbarium acronym and number as XJA 82854, no such specimen was found in any of the Xinjiang herbaria, and the species author, Prof. An Zheng-xi (also known as Z. X. An), agreed on the present listing of the holotype. Smelowskia micrantha (Botschantzew & Vved.) AlShehbaz & S. I. Warwick (2006, p. 97) Based on the same type: Sophiopsis micrantha Botschantzew & Vved. in Botschantzew (1952, p. 9). Type: Uzbekistan, Kara-Tepe, on saline soil, 18 Apr 1948, Shafeyev s.n. (holotype: TAK); [Uzbekistan], Fergana prov., Margelan distr., half versta to the northeast of the railway 39 on the way from Divan to Alty-Aryk. 14 Apr 1913. N. A. Dessyatova 117 (paratype: LE!).
Yinshania albiflora Ma & Y. Z. Zhao var. gobica Z. X. An (1995, p. 381) syn. nov. Type: China, Xinjiang, Wusu Xian, forest, 2 May 1980, Hou Wen-hu 008 (holotype: XJFA!). The original description of Yinshania albiflora var. gobica indicated that the plant has petals shorter than sepals and is covered with forked trichomes with branched rays (i.e. dendritic). All species of Yinshania Ma & Y. Z. Zhao have petals distinctly longer than sepals and indumentum of simple or rarely 1- or 2-forked trichomes (Al-Shehbaz et al. 1998, Zhou et al. 2001). Furthermore, none of 13 species of Yinshania (distributed in central, east, and southwest China) occurs in Xinjiang. Despite being badly damaged by insects, a study of the holotype of Y. albiflora var. gobica revealed that it belongs to the ephemeral middle-Asian species Smelowskia micrantha, previously known as Sophiopsis micrantha from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (Al-Shehbaz and Warwick 2006). Therefore, the type of var. gobica represents a new record of Smelowskia micrantha for the Chinese flora. Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to the curators of the cited herbaria; to Alexander N. Sennikov for comments and suggestions regarding typification and to Tan Dunyan and Guo Pin for assistance during the work in Urumqi. I am most obliged to Chen Wenli for various and extensive help during the work in Chinese herbaria and translation of some labels from Chinese, and to Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz for careful review and helpful comments on the manuscript. The study was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants no. 03-04-39026 and 07-04-90839) and the National Geographic Foundation of USA (grant no. 8204-07). References Al-Shehbaz, I. A. and Yang, G. 2001. A revision of Solmslaubachia (Brassicaceae).
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