A new species of Hiptage (Malpighiaceae) from northwest Yunnan (China) based on molecular and morphological data

Hiptage stenopterum K.Tan & M.X.Ren, a new species of Hiptage collected from a deep valley close to the Nujiang Gorge, northwest of Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated based on molecular and morphological data. The new species was found isolated in an entrenched valley of the Laowo River, a tributary of the Nujiang River, at the northern edge of the distribution range of the genus. H. stenopterum shares some morphological similarities with the narrowly endemic H. incurvatum and H. lushuiensis. However, H. stenopterum is easily distinguished by its oblanceolate lateral wing of winged mericarp, 10 to 12 calyx glands, and branchlets densely rusty tomentose. The new species status is also supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), which showed distinct systematic boundaries from the most morphologically similar species, H. incurvatum and their morphological relatives, H. lushuiensis.