Veronicastrum wulingense

Veronicastrum wulingense, known as wu ling fu shui cao (Chinese: 武陵腹水草), is a herbaceous plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is endemic to a small geographic range in China.[1] The perennial herb is from the genus Veronicastrum, a genus that is used in traditional Chinese medicine.[1] Stemming from the family Plantaginaceae, there are close to twenty species of Veronicastrum, with a primary geographic location in East Asia, though there is one species, Veronicastrum virginicum[2] that is endemic to North America.[1]

Veronicastrum wulingense
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Veronicastrum
Species:
V. wulingense
Binomial name
Veronicastrum wulingense
G.W. Hu & Q.F. Wang

Description

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The species was found in the Pingbaying National Forest Park, Xianfeng County, Southwestern Hubei, China, in June 2021, close to rocks, along the walkways of a broadleaf forest. Comparisons to other Veronicastrum species found that it was indeed a new species.[1]

Morphology

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Comparison of morphology was done between the new Veronicastrum species and other related Veronicastrum species based on the Flora of China, the Flora of Taiwan, and the Flora of Japan.[1] The new species was also virtually examined in the world's major herbarium in China.[1] The botanists compared twelve other Veronicastrum species from different areas for validation of the species type.[1] Specimens of Pseudolysimachion spicatum (L.) Opiz in China were also collected and prepared.[1] A specific morphological comparison between V. wulingense and the similar species V. liukiuense (Ohwi) T.Yamaz. was done to validate the characteristics of the new species.[1] The specimens of the Veronicastrum wulingense are in the herbarium of Wuhan Botanical Garden (HIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences.[1] DNA extraction and sequencing was done on thirteen samples to construct a phylogenetic tree to show where the new taxon in Veronicastrum should stand.[1]

Phenology

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Veronicastrum wulingense was observed flowering from June to July and produces fruit from August to October.[1]

Taxonomy

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The species was first described in 2023.[1] As of April 2023, it was not listed in the International Plant Names Index.[3] The epithet wulingense refers to the Wuling Shan Region, where Veronicastrum wulingense is located and it has been given the Chinese name wu ling fu shui cao (Chinese: 武陵腹水草).[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ding, S-X; Jiang, H; Tian, J; Ren, J; Mutie, FM; Waswa, EN; Hu, G-W; Wang, Q-F (2023). "Veronicastrum wulingense (Plantaginaceae), a new species from southwestern Hubei, China". Botanical Studies. 64 (1): 3. Bibcode:2023BotSt..64....3D. doi:10.1186/s40529-023-00367-y. PMC 9889593. PMID 36720741.
  2. ^ "Culver's Root (Culver's-physic, Black Root, Bowman's Root, Physic Root)". The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden, Inc. | Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden.
  3. ^ "Search for "Veronicastrum wulingense"". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2023-04-24.