玉山龍膽

Gentiana scabrida var. angusta Masamune, Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Form. 29: 64. 1939; Ying, Quart. J. Exp. Forest N. T. U. 3(2): 94. 1989.—TYPE: Taiwan, Kotaizan, Masamune & Mori s. n. Jul. 15, 1931 (holotype: TAI!). syn. nov. Gentiana angusta non Jones (1908): Liu & Kuo, Bull. Exp. Forest N. T. U. 114: 176, pl. 4. 1974; Liu & Kuo in Li et al., Fl. Taiwan 4: 165. 1978; Ho, Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 62: 243. 1988. syn. nov. Gentiana taiwanica T. N. Ho, Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. London (Bot.) 23: 59. 1993; Ho & Pringle in Wu et al., Fl. China 16: 92. 1995. syn. nov.

Annual herbs. Stems usually branched, purple or dark purple, densely scabrous, 10-15 cm tall. Leaves aristate-acuminate at apices, slightly scabrous along margins; radical leaves lanceolate or ovate, 10-22 mm long, 4-7 mm wide; cauline leaves lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, 6-13 mm long, 3-5 mm wide; sheaths about 2 mm long. Flowers pedicellate, solitary on terminal branches; pedicels 2-10 mm long; calyx-tube campanulate, 6-7 mm long, with 5 scabrous costae, 5-lobed, the lobes slightly unequal in size, especially on buds, narrow lanceolate to narrow ovate, aristate-acuminate at apex, 4-6 mm long, the lobes with erose costae, minute aculeus along margins; corolla tubular-campanulate, light- yellow to yellow, with brown or dark brown spots in the middle, 18-22 mm long, with 5 lobes; the lobes acutely ovate, 5 mm long, aristate-acuminate at apices, sinuses plicate with ovate-triangular appendages, appendages acute or cuspidate near apices; stamens 5, the anthers narrow, 2 mm long, the filaments about 14 mm long; ovary shortly stipitate, lanceolate to narrow ovate, 10-14 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, stipe 2-3 mm long, style 6-7 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 6-8 mm long, stipe 17-20 mm long, 2-valved, dehiscent, the valves denticulate near upper part, exserted beyond the persistent corolla. Seeds ovoid, with minutely longitudinal reticulate-striae, 1-1.1 mm long, 0.6 mm wide.

TYPE: Taiwan, in monte Morrison, Kawakami & Mori 2275 (holotype: TAIF!).

TAICHUNG HSIEN: Nanhutashan to Shenmachenshan, Ying 2071 (NTUF); Sungling, Fujita s. n. May 24, 1933 (TNU); Pahsienshan, Chuang 2700 (TAI); Nanhutashan, Masamune s. n. Jul. 14, 1931 (TAI); same loc., elev. ca. 2450-3530m, Wang 3654 (TAI); same loc., elev. ca. 3200-3500m, Kao 5231 (TAI)(NTUF); Nanhupeishan to Shenmachenshan, Ying 2037 (NTUF); Hsiaohsuehshan, Huang 10287 (TAI), same loc., elev. ca. 2000-2400m, Wang 4968 (TAI); Lishan, Kao 4609 (TAI). NANTOU HSIEN: Piluhsi, Ou 5247 (NCUF); Hohuanshan, Kao 7797 (TAI), same loc., elev. ca. 2750-2850m, Peng 8321 (HAST); Tunyuan to Yunhai, elev. ca. 2000-2400m, Liao 1294 (HAST); Kuankuao to Chungyangchinkuang, elev. ca. 2600-2900m, C. H. Chen 96 (HAST); Tashuiku, Sasaki s. n. Oct. 2, 1926 (TAI); Tungnengkao to Nengkao, Sasaki s. n. Aug. 23, 1929 (TAI); Yunhai to Tienchih, elev. ca. 2340-2840m, Kao 5824 (TAI); Chilaishan, Jeng 1819 (TAI). CHIAYI HSIEN: Yushan, Kawakamii & Mori 2275 (TAIF); same loc., Huang 1667 (TNU); Lulinshan, Yento s. n. July. 30, 1933 (TNU); Tungpushanchung to Tatachiaanpu, elev. ca. 2500-2900m, Leu 1201, 1202 (HAST); Tatachiaanpu to Paiyunshanchuang, elev. ca. 2800-3500m, Peng 14362 (HAST); Tataka, elev. ca. 2650-3500m, C. H. Chen 1061, 1062 (TNU); same loc., elev. ca. 2600m, Yamazaki 776 (TAI); Monroo cliff to Tungpu, elev. ca. 2400-2800m, Hsu 5363 (TAI). ILAN HSIEN: Chiliehting, Huang 7784 (TAI). HUALIEN HSIEN: Tayuling to Hohuanshan, elev. ca. 2565-3250m, Hsu 3801 (TAI).

Distribution and habitat. Endemic to Taiwan, in the northern and central parts of the Central Mountain Range from 2,400 to 3200 m in elevation. Flowering Jun-Sep, fruiting Jul-Oct.

Notes. Gentiana scabrida Hayata was first published in 1908. Masamune (1939) recognized a variety under G. scabrida—var. angusta. According to his opinion, the variety differs from G. scabrida by the following characters: calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, the apex acute-acuminate, the base not contracted, and the leaves ovate-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Later, Liu & Kuo (1974) elevated the variety as a species (but it was the later homonym published by Jones in 1908) by adding some other characters from their observation. However, according to authors’ detailed comparison between the holotype of G. scabrida Hayata and holotype of G. scabrida var. angusta Masamune, no stable or separably external character was found. Besides, G. scabrida can be divided into two taxa based on the original description, because two groups were found from examination of specimens in Taiwanese herbarium. One group is similar to the type specimen of G. scabrida, and another is similar to G. scabrida var. punctulata described by Ying (1978).