A New Species of Pseudostellaria (Caryophyllaceae) from Gansu, China

A new species, Pseudostellaria polymorpha
Y. S. Lian (Caryophyllaceae), is described from
Gansu Province, China. The species is remarkable for
the regular variation in its floral morphology from
stem apex to base. The terminal chasmogamous flower
is largest, having five oval-lanceolate sepals, five
oblanceolate petals noticeably longer than the sepals,
10 stamens, and an ovary with two long filamentous
styles. The flowers along the upper portions of the
stems have four sepals, only two or three petals equal
or slightly shorter than the sepals, six to eight stamens
including one or two sterile ones, and an ovary with
two filamentous, shorter styles. The cleistogamous
flowers are solitary in the axils of the basal portion of
the stem, with four densely pilose sepals, three petals
obviously shorter than the sepals or reduced, two
sterile stamens, and an ovary with two styles obviously
shorter than the ovary itself. This floral transition is
rare in Pseudostellaria Pax, and is therefore a feature
by which the new species is easily distinguishable
from other members of the genus.

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2009 A New Species of Pseudostellaria (Caryophyllaceae) from Gansu, China.PDF	442,273