Agapetes is a semi-climbing, epiphytic woody shrub native to Southeastern Asia. The genus Agapetes belongs to the tribe Vaccinieae of the subfamily Vaccinioideae, and comprises 112 currently recognized species. Most species in this genus are ornamentally important. They have enlarged and swollen tuberous roots and beautiful and delicate flowers.
During their floristic exploration of Mêdog (Motuo) County in Xizang, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) encountered an attractive Agapetes plant with fruits in the understory of a primaeval subtropical forest and introduced it to the garden.
After detailed morphological examination, the researchers confirmed that the specimens represent a species new to science. They named the new species as Agapetes rhuichengiana, in honor of Prof. Rhui-Cheng Fang from the Kunming Institute of Botany, who made significant contributions to the flora of Ericaceae in China. It is published in Taiwania.
Agapetes rhuichengiana is morphologically similar to A. huangiana in having spirally alternate small, ovate leaves and branchlets, densely covered with spreading setae. However, it differs in having flowers densely covered with white to light yellowish brown villi, shorter stamens, and fruits that are smaller, depressed subglobose, and villous and verrucose.
"During our survey, we only encountered three locations of Agapetes rhuichengiana, close to each other and in habitats near the roadside,” said YANG Bin.
Since very few details exist about its natural distribution, a detailed investigation of the same habitats may identify more populations and individuals of this new species. The researchers thus assessed the conservation status of the new species as data deficient, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standard.
Contact
TAN Yunhong Principal Investigator
Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
E-mail: tyh@xtbg.org.cn
First published: 02 January 2024
Agapetes rhuichengiana (Image by YANG Bin)
Agapetes rhuichengiana (Image by YANG Bin)
Agapetes rhuichengiana (Image by YANG Bin)
Agapetes rhuichengiana (Image by YANG Bin)
