Scutellaria chenhedongensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Guangzhou, Guangdong, southern China

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Scutellaria chenhedongensis X.W.Yi, Y.F.Chen & Q.Fan, a new species from Chenhedong Provincial Nature Reserve, Conghua District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, is described and illustrated. Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and ETS sequences resolve the three sampled individuals of the new species as a strongly supported monophyletic clade (UFBoot = 100, PP = 1.00). This clade is recovered as sister to a clade comprising S. calcarata and S. jishouensis , although this sister relationship receives weak support (UFBoot = 46, PP = 0.56). Morphologically, the new species can be clearly distinguished from these taxa by the following combination of characters: a perennial subshrubby habit with a woody stem base, reaching 40–100 cm in height; lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate leaves with conspicuously bullate venation and the abaxial surface densely covered with yellow sessile glandular dots; the co-occurrence of stipitate glandular hairs and yellow sessile glandular dots on multiple vegetative and floral organs; and a strongly geniculate corolla base lacking any saccate or spur-like projection. Morphological and molecular evidence together support its recognition as a species new to science. In accordance with IUCN Red List criteria, S. chenhedongensis is provisionally assessed as Vulnerable (VU D1+D2).