Skip to main content

Zhangjiajie bittercress (Cardamine zhangjiajieensis) growing in wet places and only found in Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve

Zhangjiajie bittercress (Cardamine zhangjiajieensis) growing in wet places and only found in Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve

NEWS - Zhangjiajie bittercress (Cardamine zhangjiajieensis Q.R.Liu & J.L.Li, sp. nov.) is only found in Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve, Hunan Province, China, growing in wet places on riverbanks, forests and roadsides. The terminal leaves are stem-shaped, mostly round or oblong, with wavy sinus margins and narrow winged seed tips.

Cardamine L. (Brassicaceae) is a cosmopolitan genus with more than 280 species, most of which are distributed in temperate regions. Since 2001, new species and distribution records in China have been published continuously and so far 61 species have been reported in China, of which 31 are endemic.

Field survey was conducted in Hunan, Sichuan, Jilin, Hebei, Yunnan from 2021 to 2023. During the examination of specimens of the genus Cardamine, researchers selected one specimen identified as Cardamine macrocephala Z. M. Tan & S. C. Zhou (1996) collected from Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve.

This name has been recorded as a synonym of C. circaeoides Hook.f. & Thomson. The morphological characters of the specimen are significantly inconsistent with C. circaeoides. This study conducted field investigation, morphological analysis, systematic and proposed C. zhangjiajieensis as a new species to science.

C. zhangjiajieensis is a perennial herb, 15–40 cm tall, glabrous. Rhizomes short, sometimes with a few stolons. Stems erect, simple or branched above middle.

Basal leaves not rosette, simple or 2–4 foliolate; petiole 3–6 cm, glabrous; leaf blade or terminal leaflets cordate or ovate, 3–5 cm × 3–5 cm, glabrous, base cordate, sometimes subtruncate, or subcuneate, margin often sinuous, apex obtuse; lateral leaflets (when present) petiolulate or sessile, much smaller than terminal one.

Cauline leaves simple or 1 of which 2– or 3–foliolate, petiolate or rarely uppermost subsessile; petiole (0.4–)1–5 (–6) cm; leaf blade similar to that of basal leaves, cordate, sometimes ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4.5 (–6) × 3(–4) cm.

Fruiting pedicels 3–12 (–15) mm, ascending, base sometimes rooting, emitting new plants. Sepals ovate or oblong, 2.8–3.2 mm × 1.4–1.9 mm, glabrous, margin often membranous. Petals white, spatulate, 4.5–6.5 mm × 2.5–3 mm, apex notch.

Median filament pair 3.5–4.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–2.5 mm; anthers oblong. Siliques linear, 2.5–4 cm; valves torulose, glabrous; style (0.5–)1–2 mm. Seeds brown, ovate or broadly oblong, 1.4–1.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm, with a narrow wing. Fl. and fr. April–Jul. 2n ≈ 6x.

The new species differs from C. scutata by lateral leaflets 0–2 pairs (vs. 1–4), the terminal leaflet of the cauline leaf 4–7 cm × 3.5–6.5 cm (vs. 2–5 × 1.5–4 cm), petals 4.5–6.5 mm × 2.5–3 mm (vs. 2.5–4.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm), sepals 2.8–3. 2 mm × 1.4–1.9 mm (vs. 1.5–2.5 × 0.9–1.4 mm), vegetatively propagated by adventitious buds in fruit stage.

The new species is similar to C. circaeoides, but is distinguished by terminal leaflet of the cauline leaf 4.5–7 cm (vs. 2.5–4.5 cm), lateral leaflets 0–2 pairs (vs. 0–1 pairs), without auriculate petioles (vs. auriculate petioles), mostly round or oblong (vs. oblong-oval to triangular-oval), margin undulating sinuses (vs. crenate or subentire), seed apically narrow wing (vs. wingless).

Based on chloroplast genome data, C. parviflora, C. scutata, C. zhangjiajieensis and C. amariformis form a subclade with C. parviflora at the base of the clade, which supports previous research. C. scutata (2n = 4x = 32) may be involved in the speciation of C. zhangjiajieensis (2n ≈ 6x) as a hybrid parent according to ploidy level.

Another important character of C. zhangjiajieensis is vegetative reproduction by adventitious buds at the fruit stage which is also found in C. hupingshanensis, but C. zhangjiajieensis differs in that it is glabrous (vs. hirsute), terminal leaflet of the cauline leaf oblong, not petiole auriculate-amplexicaul at base (vs. reniform or orbicular, petiole auriculate-amplexicaul at base), seed apically narrow wing (vs. wingless).

C. hupingshanensis has 2n = 24. In natural conditions, the reproduction of C. hupingshanensis relies on adventitious roots growing on each stem node after lodging, indicating that the ploidy level of C. hupingshanensis is 2n = 3x.

Original research

Li J-L, Zhang C, He Y, Liu Q-R (2024). Cardamine zhangjiajieensis, a new species of Brassicaceae in China. PhytoKeys 248: 293-304, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.248.119678

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...
Read more

Tripa tiger moth (Nannoarctia tripartita)

Tripa tiger moth ( Nannoarctia tripartita ) is an animal species in the Erebidae, a moth with a forewing length of 14-18 mm, predominantly black or dark brown with white and orange hues, thick fur on the dorsal surface, long legs and antennae, living in forest scrub and agricultural land. N. tripartita in females has forewings 15-18 mm long, black or dark brown with slightly oblique transverse and few spots. The hind wings are yellow with large dark discal points and three other dots. Males have forewings 14-17 mm long, black or dark brown with transverse oblique postdiscal bands and several spots. The hind wings are yellow with brown costal margins, discal confluent points, wide ridges on the crest and angular points in the tornus. The head has a thin orange pattern and a pair of long black antennae. Long legs are black. Tripa tiger moths live in forest scrub, farmland and roadsides. More stationary by sticking to the leaf surface at the top. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropod...
Read more

Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar (Amanita javanica)

OPINION - Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar ( Amanita javanica ) is a mysterious fungus species and has been enigmatic since it was first reported by Boedijn in 1951 and after that no explanation or reporting of specimens is believed to be the same as expected. Boedijn (1951) described A. javanica which grew on Java island as having the characteristics covered in the Amanita genus. Corner and Bas in 1962 tried to describe Javan mocca and all species in Amanita based on specimens in Singapore. Over time some reports say that they have found A. javanica specimens in other Southeast Asia including also China, Japan, India and Nepal. But there is no definitive knowledge and many doubt whether the specimen is the same as described by Boedijn (1951). I was fortunate to have seen this species one afternoon and soon I took out a camera for some shots. In fact, I've only met this mushroom species once. Javan mocca is an endangered species and I have never seen in my experience in...
Read more