Hengduan adder's-tongue (Whittieria hengduanensis) from eastern Himalayas similar to the American Whittieria engelmannii

NEWS - Hengduan adder's-tongue (Whittieria hengduanensis Z.L.Liang & Li Bing Zhang, sp. nov.) from Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, Southwest China (eastern Himalayas) shows that the genus has members that are intercontinentally separated between the Himalayas and America, a unique pattern that has not been documented in the literature.

Ophioglossaceae is divided into 4 subfamilies and 15 genera. The seven recognized genera within Ophioglossoideae are Cheiroglossa C. Presl.; Goswamia Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang; Haukia Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang; Ophioderma (Blume) Endl.; Ophioglossum L.; Rhizoglossum C. Presl; and Whittieria Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang.

During field trips in western Sichuan and southeastern Xizang in 2021, the researchers collected several species from several locations. This species has pronounced complex reticulate venation, similar to the American W. engelmannii, but is about 8000 km away from the latter species' distribution in aerial distance.

Whittieria hengduanensis is plant 10–13 cm tall. Rhizomes erect, cylindrical, quiescent. 6–7 mm, with numerous black residual trophophore stalks. Leaves 1–2 per rhizome. Roots fleshy, up to 25 (–50) per rhizome, ca. 0.6mm dia. Leaf stalks 4.5–7.5 cm long, 1.5–2 mm diameter; the lower part is buried in the soil, grey.

Trophophores nearly circular to ovate, papery, 1.6–6 cm long, 1–3 cm broad at the middle, apex acute, narrowed toward the base. Venation complex-reticulate (also called “double venation” with small areolae inside a large areola), with included veinlets.

Sporophores arising at ground level, the base is slightly attached to sporophores; stalks 3.5–7 cm long; spike 1.2–1.8 cm long, ca. 2.5 mm diam., 16–23 pairs of sporangia per spike.

W. hengduanensis is similar to W. engelmannii but has up to 25 (–50) roots per rhizome and 10–20 large areoles per trophophore (vs. less than 15 roots per rhizome and 0–8 areoles per trophophore in W. engelmannii).

The new species was discovered in western Sichuan (Batang, Daocheng, Daofu, Derong, Maerkang, Xiangcheng, Yajiang, Yuexi), northwestern Yunnan (Lijiang, etc.), and eastern Xizang (Mangkang, Zayu). It grows on bottom soil under bushes in dry and hot river valleys at elevations of 2500–4000 m.

Original research

Liang Z-L, Zhang L-B (2024). Discovery of Whittieria hengduanensis sp. nov. (Ophioglossaceae) from Southwest China demonstrates a unique intercontinental disjunct pattern in plants between the Himalaya and the Americas. PhytoKeys 249: 27-36, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.249.135379

Dlium theDlium

Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans)

Sandbox tree ( Hura crepitans ) is species in Euphorbiaceae, a tropical tree, growing up to 60 meters tall and with a trunk circumference of up to 13.2 meters, the trunk is covered with long and sharp thorns and exudes a poisonous sap. H. crepitans has large, oval leaves, 15 cm wide and 20 cm long. The petioles are 22 cm long. The flowers are red and lack petals. Male flowers grow on long stalks, while female flowers grow singly in leaf axils. The fruit is a large, flask-shaped capsule, up to 10 cm in diameter, with 12-16 radially arranged carpels. The seeds are flat and about 2 cm in diameter. The capsule bursts when ripe, dividing into segments and ejecting the seeds at a speed of 70 m/s, a distance of 30-100 meters. This tree prefers moist soil and partial shade or partial to full sun, a warm, humid environment. It is often cultivated for shade. The wood is light and used to make canoes. The sap is used to poison fish. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiosperma...

Telotaun (Manihot carthagenensis)

Telotaun ( Manihot carthagenensis ) is a plant species in Euphorbiaceae, trees or shrubs 2-10 m tall, erect and fibrous, white latex, leaves varying with the subspecies noted are Manihot carthagenensis ssp. carthagenensis , Manihot carthagenensis ssp. glaziovii and Manihot carthagenensis ssp. hahnii . M. carthagenensis has an erect stem, a tubular shape, a young stem which is bright green and covered in white wax, an old stem that has a thin layer of brown skin. Long leaf stems and white waxy, arranged alternately, growing in all directions, green on the bottom and redish on the top. Leaves have 3-7 fingers each up to 25 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, ellipses become obovoid, sometimes pandurate and apex acute. Each leaf finger has a bone in the middle that moves linearly with some pinnate bones. The upper surface is green and slightly shiny, the lower surface is whitish green. The base of the leaf is centered at the end of the stalk, the pointed end which ends at the head of the sp...

Giant green leech (Raksasa hijau)

Lintah raksasa or giant green leech ( Raksasa hijau ) is a species of animal in Salifidae, large green leeches, carnivores, not hematophagic, can grow to lengths of more than 50 cm, the front is perfectly tubular, but it is getting bigger, wider and flat backward. R. hijau has a front end that ends with a white mouth and has a width equal to the diameter of the front end of the body. The rear end ends with the anus and has a width equal to the diameter of the rear end of the body. The upper surface is whole dark green or leafy green, looks shiny and has no other additional color features. The bottom surface is lighter or brownish green. The skin is wrinkled like tight, elastic joints that make it possible to lengthen the body. Giant green leech moves forward by extending the tip of the front of the body to keep the new location farther away and this movement is then followed by the middle body and gradually the rear where the body moves completely. R. hijau does not suck blo...

Dlium