A new subspecies of Primula obconica Hance from Eastern China

HE Guo-Sheng, HU Chi-Ming

Abstract:

A new subspecies, Primula obconica subsp. fujianensis, is described. The genus

Primula is widely distributed throughout China, but it has never been previously recorded in Fujian

and Jiangsu. Recently the authors collected a specimen of the genus from Fujian for the first time. It

is obviously closely related to P. obconica, which is one of the most common species in China,

ranging from western Yunnan and Sichuan through Guizhou, Hubei to Hunan and northern Guang-

dong, with its most easterly extension in southern Jiangxi. Morphologically, the Fujian plant is char-

acterized by its much smaller stature and by the scapes being shorter than the leaf rosette, and in

many ways it is more closely related to P. obconica subsp. parva, but can be easily distinguished

by its smaller, white and homostylous flowers. As it is isolated both in distribution and reproduction

with other subspecies of P. obconica, here it is described as a new subspecies.

Key words: Primula Linn., P. obconica subsp. Fujianensis, New subspecies

HE Guo-Sheng, HU Chi-Ming. A new subspecies of Primula obconica Hance from Eastern China[J]. , 2002, 40(6): 551-552.

[1]	Sandip Kumar Basak, Gour Gopal Maiti. A new subspecies of Primula munroi Lindl. from the Eastern Himalaya—P. munroi ssp. schizocalyx [J]. , 2001, 39(5): 473-476.
[2]	ZHU Hua, WANG Hong, LI Bao-Gui. A new subspecies of the genus Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) from Yunnan with reference to its biogeographical implication [J]. , 2000, 38(3): 282-285.

Knowledge