AUTHOR=Peng Yulan , Pu Xuemei , Xiong Xianhua , Cheng Lijie 

TITLE=Youngia lushanensis, a new species of Asteraceae from Sichuan, China, inferred from morphology and nrITS phylogeny

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1453759

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1453759

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Youngia lushanensis</italic> (Asteraceae), a new species of <italic>Youngia</italic>, is described and illustrated from Lushan in Sichuan, Southwest China. Its systematic position is evaluated based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear ribosomal <italic>ITS</italic> and on morphological comparison with related species. It is morphologically similar to <italic>Y. purpimea</italic> and <italic>Y. szechuanica</italic>, with purplish red abaxially leaves. But it differs from the latter two in that its caudex are glabrous, leaf margins are sparsely dentate, and being glabrous on both surfaces, 9-11 florets in each capitulum, and inner phyllaries are crested. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS also showed this new species is closely related with <italic>Y. purpimea</italic> and <italic>Y. szechuanica.</italic> The three species <italic>Y</italic>. <italic>lushanensis Y. purpimea</italic> and <italic>Y. szechuanica</italic>, formed a basal group of <italic>Youngia</italic>, which is distributed in moist slopes in Southwest China.</p>