Vaccinium dehongense (Ericaceae), a new species of Vaccinium sect. Epigynium from western Yunnan, China

Abstract

Vaccinium dehongense (Ericaceae), a new species from Yingjiang County of Yunnan Province, China is described and illustrated. This new species belongs to Vaccinium sect. Epigynium and is most similar to V. vacciniaceum, but differs from the latter in the subsessile leaves, the inflorescence usually developing at leafless nodes, the shorter pedicels and the filaments being ca. 1/3 length of the stamens. Since the type locality of this new species is very near the border between China and Myanmar, it is probably also distributed in the adjacent area of Myanmar. As no population assessment of this species in its whole distribution area is made, it is best to assign a conservation status of ‘Data Deficient’ (DD) for this species.