﻿Thrixspermumtaeniophyllum (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), a new species from southwest China, based on molecular and morphological evidence

Jun-Yi Zhang; Yue-Hong Cheng; Min Liao; Gui-Ying Liu; Pan-Yan Yang; Bo Xu; Hai He

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.230.104273

Thrixspermumtaeniophyllum (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), a new species from southwest China, based on molecular and morphological evidence

PhytoKeys. 2023 Aug 7:230:145-156. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.230.104273. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jun-Yi Zhang^{1

2}, Yue-Hong Cheng³, Min Liao^{2

4}, Gui-Ying Liu³, Pan-Yan Yang³, Bo Xu^{2

4}, Hai He¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China Chongqing Normal University Chongqing China.
³ Wolong National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau, Wenchuan 623006, Sichuan, China Wolong National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau Wenchuan China.
⁴ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.

Abstract

Thrixspermumtaeniophyllum is described as a new orchid species from Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province of southwest China. It is morphologically similar to T.japonicum, but it differs from the latter in having branched stems, slightly fleshy strap-shaped leaves, longer inflorescences with 3-6 flowers and a capitate gynandrium with a lip-shaped mouth opening. Its species status is also supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and three chloroplast DNA fragments (matK, psbA-trnH and trnL-F), which showed distinct systematic boundaries from the most morphologically similar T.japonicum and their morphological relatives T.saruwatarii and T.pygmaeum.

Keywords: Epiphytic orchid; flora of Sichuan; phylogeny; systematic position; taxonomy.

Jun-Yi Zhang, Yue-Hong Cheng, Min Liao, Gui-Ying Liu, Pan-Yan Yang, Bo Xu, Hai He.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0502), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFE0203200), 2022 Central Finance Forestry Grassland Ecological Protection and Restoration National Park Subsidy Project, 2022–2023 Subsidy Projects of Prohibited Developmental Areas from the Transfer Payment of the National Key Ecological Functional Areas, and Wild Plants Sharing and Service Platform of Sichuan Province.