Acer yangbiense, New Species from Yunnan, China
(written on Jan. 10, 2004)

Let me show you information of a New Species of Maple.

Offered by Mr. Chen yousheng .

Yousheng Chen and Qiner Yang
Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.

Guanghua Zhu
Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis Missouri 63166-0299, U.S.A.

Name of new species : Acer yangbiense Y.S.Chen & Q.E.Yang
China. Yunnan: Yangbi County, Malutang, forests, ait. 2400m, 24 Apr. 2002

Abstract. Acer yangbiense Y. S. Chen & E. Yang, a new species from Yangbi County, Yunnan Province, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to Acer leiponense Fang & Soong from western Sichuan in having a pale gray abaxial surface of the leaves, a much longer glabrous infructescence and fruiting pedicels, and convex nutlets, but differs by its larger 5-lobed leaves with a cordate base, abaxially densely pubescent veins and veinlets, and pubescent young branchlets and petioles.

Key to A. yangbiense, A. leipoense, and A. kungshanense

1a. Abaxial surface of leaves yellow-brown;

infructescence 7-9cm long, glabrous; fruits 4 to 7 per raceme; nutlets globose.......Acer kungshanense

1b. Abaxial surface of the leaves pale gray;

infructescence 10-32cm long, +-pubescent; fruits 9 to 17 per raceme; nutlets convex

2a. Leaves(9-11)*(11-12)cm、sparsely pubescent abaxially along veins and veinlets (hairs cannot be felt with fingers); leaf blade 3-lobed, base rounded; nutlets (3.5-4.3)*(0.8-1.3)cm...........Acer leipoense

2b. Leaves(10-20)*(11-25)cm、densely pubescent (hairs can be easily felt wiyh fingers); leaf blade 5-lobed, base cordate; nutlets(4.7-5.5)*(1.4-1.7)cm..........Acer yangbiense

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A. yangbiense is a member of Acer sect. Lithocarpa ser. Lithocarpa by having racemes arising from leafless lateral buds and about nine pairs of imbricate sacales on the buds.

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