Taxonomic studies on Sanicula L. (Apiaceae) from China (V): Revision of the Sanicula serrata H. Wolff complex: morphological delimitation from S. potaninii Bobrov, synonymization of allied taxa, and lectotypifications

2025/10/21 by Huimin Li, Wei Zhou, Baocheng Wu +3 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Phytochemistry and Biological Activities #Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions #Plant chemical constituents analysis

paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/phytokeys.265.169937

openalex publication_date 2025/10/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27

Abstract

Based on observations of living plants in the field and examination of herbarium specimens (including type materials), we demonstrate that Sanicula serrata var. serrata (Apiaceae) differs from S. potaninii by having single fruit bearing squamose spines – occasionally tuberculate-spiculate or apically prickly – whereas S. potaninii usually bears three fruits with densely uncinate spines. This morphological distinction is further supported by differences in their biogeographic distributions. In addition, S. tienmuensis , S. elongata , S. tienmuensis var. pauciflora, and S. langaoensis are found to be conspecific with S. serrata , while S. serrata var. uncinata is conspecific with S. potaninii ; we therefore reduce these taxa to synonymy accordingly. Lectotypifications are proposed for S. elongata and S. tienmuensis var. pauciflora.

Citations

• Taxonomic studies on the genus Sanicula (Apiaceae) from China (IV): Clarification of morphology and distribution of S. rugulosa and S. subgiraldii, with reduction of S. astrantiifolia to a synonym of the former

Discussions

• Researchers in China revise the 𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑎 complex, clarifying its morphology, distinguishing 𝑆. 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑎 from 𝑆. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑖, and synonymising several misclassifie [bsky, 3 points, 0 comments]

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