Hemipilia zhuxiensis (Orchideae, Orchidaceae), a new species from Hubei Province, China

Abstract

Hemipilia zhuxiensis (Orchidaceae), is a new species discovered in the Shibali Long Canyon National Nature Reserve, Zhuxi County, Hubei Province, China. It is morphologically similar to Hemipilia henryi and Hemipilia crassicalcarata, but differs in having an oblong, simple labellum with a slightly involute margin, an upcurved apex, and a spur shorter than the ovary. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, using nuclear (nrITS) and plastid (combined matK, psaB, psbA-trnH, rbcL and trnL-F) DNA sequences, confirm that H. zhuxiensis is closely related to Hemipilia henryi and Hemipilia crassicalcarata, supporting its recognition as a new species in the H. section Hemipilia as defined by Tang et al. (2015).