Mazusmotuoensis (Mazaceae), a new species from Xizang, China

Abstract

Mazusmotuoensis W.B.Ju, Bo Xu bis & X.F.Gao is a newly described species found in Xizang Autonomous Region, China. Morphologically, this species differs from all the other known Mazus species by having erect perennial herb form with a rhizome, presence of multicellular hairs, without basal leaves, opposite arrangement of stem leaves, and corolla lobes with erose-toothed margins. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using nuclear and cpDNA genes suggests that this new species occupies a basal position within Mazus. In conclusion, both morphological evidence and molecular phylogenetic analyses support that this species belongs to Mazus and represents an as-yet-unreported new species with distinct differences from other species within the genus.

Keywords: Mazus; molecular phylogenetics; morphology; taxonomy.