Meiogyne oligocarpa (Annonaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China

Abstract

Meiogyne oligocarpa sp. nov. (Annonaceae) is described from Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It is easily distinguished from all previously described Meiogyne species by the possession of up to four carpels per flower, its bilobed, sparsely hairy stigma, biseriate ovules and cylindrical monocarps with a beaked apex. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to confirm the placement of this new species within Meiogyne. Meiogyne oligocarpa represents the second species of Meiogyne in China: a key to the species of Meiogyne in China is provided to distinguish it from Meiogyne hainanensis. Paraffin sectioning was undertaken to study the anatomy of the corrugations on the inner petals of Meiogyne oligocarpa to verify whether they are glandular.

Aerial litter mimicry: a novel form of floral deception mediated by a monoterpene synthase

“…The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted June 14, 2024. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.12.596753 doi: bioRxiv preprint despite the absence of secretary openings (Xue et al 2021); its actual function has yet to be elucidated. Because the Annonaceae lacks specialisation in pollen presentation, tactile cues like the petal corrugation could encourage the beetles to linger in the flowers, thereby increasing pollen load.…”

“…1f) may provide an important component for potential tactile mimicry. The inner petal corrugation has previously been regarded as a gland despite the absence of secretary openings (Xue et al 2021); its actual function has yet to be elucidated. Because the Annonaceae lacks specialisation in pollen presentation, tactile cues like the petal corrugation could encourage the beetles to linger in the flowers, thereby increasing pollen load.…”

“…As nearly half of the species were described as having fruity floral odour (Goodrich, 2012), fruit mimicry might be prevalent and ancestral in the family (Gottsberger, 1999, 2016; Jürgens et al, 2000; Saunders, 2012; Goodrich & Jürgens, 2018). The Annonaceae genus Meiogyne likewise generally possesses a yellowish corolla with a fruity floral odour (Silberbauer-Gottsberger et al, 2003; Tan et al, 2014; Johnson et al, 2019; Xue et al, 2021). Some species however possess dark petals (Jessup, 2007).…”

A New Species of Meiogyne (Annonaceae) From the Eastern Himalayas of Northeast India

“…Based on molecular data, other genera of Annonaceae have been subsumed within Meiogyne (Thomas et al, 2012;Xue et al, 2014;Turner & Utteridge, 2015;Xue et al, 2017). This, coupled with new field and herbarium discoveries, has contributed to a significant increase in the size of the genus, which currently includes approximately 33 species (van Heusden, 1996;Johnson et al, 2019;Xue et al, 2021).…”